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EnthusiastsexplorenewgalaxiesatDarkSkyFestivalScienceTechnologyAstronomy9TuesdayAugust262014ByDALICARMICHAELLikeanebulagatheringparticlesandenergytoformanewstaraurryofactivi-tiesandpeoplecameperfectlytogetherforafantasticthirdannualDarkSkyFestival.FromAug.21to25FortSmithandWoodBuffaloNationalParkWBNPwerethelaunchpadsforaweek-endofscienticexplorationwithCanadasrstfemaleas-tronautRobertaBondarandspaceauthorandjournalistPeterMcMahon.Theweek-endwasacollaborativeeffortinitiatedbytheThebachaandWoodBuffaloAstronomySocietyTAWBASParksCanadaandAuroraCollege.McMahonkickedthingsoffonThursdaywithatalkcalledSpaceTourismforKids9to99wherehediscussedthefutureofspacetravelanditsrelativeafford-ability.McMahonhasbeencomingtoWBNPforaboutayearorsoandsaidthattravelingtothedarkskypre-serveatPineLakehasmadeastrongimpressiononhim.Thereare19darkskypreservesinCanada40intheworldMcMahonsaid.Iwouldsaythisisthecool-estone.IwouldsaythatifIweretomakealistofmyvefavouriteastronomyex-periencesmyfavouriteonewasbeinghereforthersttimelastyearandseeingthenorthernlightsabovetheSaltPlains.IwasfascinatedbythefactthatwewerelookingatthisIMAXscreenandweareliterallyseeingthesuntouchtheearth-thatswhatanyoneislookingatwhentheyseethenorthernlightshecontinued.Youresee-ingourlocalstarreachingoutacross150millionkilo-metresofspaceandticklingtheEarthsatmosphere100kmabove.RobertaBondaralsogaveapresentationonFridayevening.WhatIwantedtodobe-causeitstheDarkSkyFes-tivalwasIwantedtotalkaboutspaceightandbasi-callytalkabouthowtheskybelongstoeveryone.Anyonecanlookuptolookintotheskyandweseeitasreallyourentranceintotheuni-verseshesaid.ThereareveryfewofusinCanadawhohaveowntospacesotointeractwiththepublictomeisreallyasacredresponsibilityasacredtrustBondarsaid.Itsre-allyenjoyablethiskindofdayoutherewhenyouvegotkidsinteractingwithrobotsanddoingallthesekindsoffunthings.BondarstartedcomingtoWBNPbeforeitwasadarkskypreserveandwasevenapartoftheendeavourtoturnWBNPintoaUNESCOWorldHeritagesite.Anam-bassadorofthewhoopingcranessheenjoyscomingtoFortSmithandviewingthewildlife.DuringthedayFridayyouthattendingthefesti-valweretreatedtoscienceexperimentdisplaysoneofwhichincludedcreatingaminicometthathoveredaround-80degreescelsius.KidswerealsogivenaLegoMindStormEV3kittocompeteintheAuroraCollege-sponsoredARISci-enceacademycompetitionwheretheybuiltrobotsthatwererequiredtocompleteaseriesoftasks.ThekidslaunchedtheirmachinesonSaturdaydem-onstratingtheminbetweenmini-rocketlauncheswatergamesinthelakeandspace-themedcrafts.AuroraCol-legerepresentativesweresopleasedwiththeeventtheyarecurrentlyplanninganafter-schoolprogrambasedontheideaofkeepingkidsplayingandlearningaboutscience.OnSaturdaynightMc-Mahongaveasecondpre-sentationwherehetooktheaudienceonacelebritytourofthesky.FromFuturamatoStarTrekHarryPottertoStarWarsMcMahonlistedoffreferencestothenightskyintheshowsshowingwheretheywereandwerentrealistic.Afterthepresentationthecrowdsmosiedovertoablockoftelescopessetuptohighlightnebulasandgalax-iesfarfarawaytolookfortheconstellationsMcMahonhadmentionedinhispresen-tation.Thenightwasclearandtheconditionswereex-cellentforstargazing.Kidswerehandedglow-sticksbeforetellingghoststoriesaroundacampreeventuallymakingtheirwaytotheircampsitesandheadingtobedastheauroraglowedgreenoverheadliketheworldsbiggestnightlight.PhotoDaliCarmichaelPhotoBillBradenPhotoDaliCarmichaelPhotoDaliCarmichaelSpaceauthorandjournalistPeterMcMahonsetsupamodelspaceshipbeforepreparingfor3-2-1-blastoffAstronomerLarryNixonpeersintohisCelestronSE8telescopeatPineLakeintheDarkSkyPreserveonFridayevening.OntheclearnightNixonwasabletocatchglimpsesoftheRingNebuladoublestarsandtheplanetNeptune.CanadianastronautRobertaBondarcentrejudgesthersteverDarkSkyFestivalrobotbuildingchallenge.Bondarwaslookingforrobotsthatwereaestheticallypleasingandcouldcompletedaseriesoftasks.Sheisseenherewiththeyoungengineers.HendrikVenemacheersafterhisrobotclearsoneofthechallengesintherobotbuildingcompetition.