CRAWFORD COUNTY — The Crawford Park District invites the public to the following events in May:
The Moths of May
Friday, May 28 9pm-12am Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598
Join the Crawford Park District for a program on the Moths of May. With gradually warming temperatures and lengthening days, many moths emerge from their overwintering cocoons in spring. However, only a fortunate few glimpse these beauties during the day since moths are primarily nocturnal. Stop in to see which moths and other intriguing insects are attracted to our mothing sheet. Cecropia caterpillars have been found at Lowe-Volk, so with luck (and a very bright light) a giant Cecropia Moth may fly in! Call the Crawford Park District office at 419-683-9000 to register. Lowe-Volk Park is located 3 miles north of US Route 30. Look for information on other programs offered by the Crawford Park District by visiting their web site at www.crawfordpd.org or by visiting our Facebook page.
Springtime at Daughmer
Saturday, May 29 2pm Daughmer Savannah State Nature Preserve, 786 Marion Melmore Rd.
Meet Crawford Park District Naturalist Warren Uxley and learn about Daughmer’s rarest plants.
Most of the prairie plants at Daughmer will flower in mid to late summer, but several plants listed as threatened species will flower in late spring. Call the Crawford Park District to register at 419-683-9000. Daughmer Savannah is located 786 Marion-Melmore Road just north of SR 294. Look for information on other programs offered by the Crawford Park District by visiting their web site at www.crawfordpd.org or by visiting our Facebook page.
Viewing the Night Sky
Saturday, May 29 9:30pm Lowe-Volk Park
Join members of the Crawford Park Astronomy Club as they share their knowledge and telescope skills with all who are interested in the celestial sights. Some of the targets for the spring are:
M41 – 2,300 light years away is Canis Major, an open cluster 4 degrees south of Sirius
Mars – is very favorable for a while longer
Castor – is 370 million years old, 50 light years away, consists of multiple stars and contains the 20th brightest star in the sky
NGC 2392 –discovered in 1787 by William Herschel, the Clown Face Nebula is 5000 light years away, found in Gemini
NGC 2632 – a very pretty sight is the Beehive Cluster, sometimes referred to as the Northern Jewel Box
M50 – an open cluster in Monoceros is 2,870 light years away, and contains 508 stars
M42 – the great nebula of Orion is 1,300 light years away and 12 light years across, and is the birthplace of stars
Andromeda Galaxy – the closest major galaxy to the Milky Way, a real sight to behold
Pleiades – 410 light years away, visible with binoculars, very young at only 20 million years old
Hyades – open star cluster 153 light years away, moving away from us at 100,000 mph
Crab Nebula – super nova remanent
Sirius – the brightest star in the sky is the Dog Star
North Star – also known as Polaris, is a double star
Asterism – Three Leaps of the Gazelle, once you have to shown to you, you’ll wonder why you didn’t notice it before!
Asterism – Big Dipper, our guide to the North star, includes a double star
There are a lot of other objects to view. What we see will depend on what the clouds are doing.
Call the Crawford Park District office at 419-683-9000 to register. Lowe-Volk Park is located 3 miles north of US Route 30. Look for information on other programs offered by the Crawford Park District by visiting their web site at www.crawfordpd.org or by visiting our Facebook page.
