Astro – photography images on exhibit at Oracle State Park

Val Bembenek

A collection of astronomical images captured through telescopes by Adam Block, manager and founder of Mt. Lemmon Sky Center, will be on public display at Oracle State Park’s Kannally Ranch House through December 20. The park, located at 3820 Wildlife Dr. in Oracle, is open 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekends.

The photo exhibit, co-sponsored by Oracle State Park and the Oracle Dark Skies Committee, opened November 7.

Block will discuss astrophotography and his passion for scientific exploration of our earth within the universe on December 20 at the Ranch House. The hour-long program, free with park admission, will begin at 3:00 p.m. Reservations are requested by calling the park office at 520-896-2425.

Block produced his out-of-this-world images at the Sky Center as part of his public outreach programs through the University of Arizona’s Steward Observatory. His images of galaxies, star clusters, nebulae and other objects in space have been published widely in print and the internet, including on NASA’s website. He received the Hubble Award, one of the highest honors for work in astrophotography, and won the Astrophotographer of the Year award for best deep space photography from the Royal Observatory in 2013.

Over the last 15 years he has hosted thousands of evening “SkyNights” programs at the Sky Center for youth and adults. Additional information is at www.skycenter.arizona.edu.