Mount Washington Observatory announces programs

NORTH CONWAY, N.H. — The Mount Washington Observatory has announced a full line-up of summer educational offerings on the summit of Mount Washington and in the valley, including overnight Edutrips and workshops.

Edutrips

Back by popular demand, the Observatory, a nonprofit, will offer five overnight Edutrips, including expert instruction on various topics and the opportunity to stay the night on the summit of Mount Washington with Observatory staff.

Edutrip dates and topics include:

• Life, Work and the Environment Atop Mount Washington, July 8-9, Aug. 12-13.

• Thunderstorms, July 15-16, Aug. 19-20.

• Fall Foliage Photography, Oct. 7-8.

Edutrips will cost $399 for Observatory members and $47 for nonmembers.

Workshops

Returning for summer 2017, the Observatory will also offer two popular workshops: 

• The Star Party Astronomy Workshop, Aug. 5: John Gianforte, astronomy lecturer for the Physics Department at University of New Hampshire, will lead the outing for anyone interested in astronomy, from novice to advanced. It will be a two-part program, starting with an indoor session at the Weather Discovery Center from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m., followed by an outdoor session from 7:30 to 11 p.m. Cloud date: Aug. 6. 

• The Geology and White Mountains Workshop, Sept. 9: Geologist Woody Thompson of the Maine Geological Survey will explore the glacial geology of the northern White Mountains region and the history of geological exploration and understanding of the area. The workshop will begin with an informal classroom presentation, then proceed to sites of geological interest in the northern White Mountains region. The workshop run from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., starting at the Mount Washington Observatory Weather Discovery Center in North Conway. Rain date: Sunday, Sept. 10. 

Workshop fees are $75 for observatory members and $105 for nonmembers. The fees include instruction and associated materials.

Additional offerings

In the summer, the Mount Washington Observatory provides additional educational offerings, including a free Science in the Mountains lecture series, summit weather station tours for observatory members and daily “Live from the Rockpile” call-ins to the summit observers from the Weather Discovery Center.

Guests can also explore the world of weather at the Mount Washington Observatory’s two museums — The Weather Discovery Center in North Conway and Extreme Mount Washington at the summit of Mount Washington in the Sherman Adams State Park building.

FMI: MountWashington.org, 603-356-2137, 800-706-0432, ext. 225.