In this presentation, we will discuss how stars form and what changes occur as they grow and mature through their life. As the star’s fuel runs low, what changes take place as they die? We will show examples of stars in these many phases. We will talk about our Sun, where it is now, and what we should look forward to. (This event is hosted by Northern Michigan Astronomy Club and presented by Mick Groszko, who is a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassadors. In that capacity, they both do outreach activities for NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.) For more information, please call the programming and sales coordinator at (231) 348-5479 or email [email protected]

Ever wondered about what you should bring when going on a backpacking trip? Or even what possible dangers that could be lurking about? Come join Parks and Recreation staff at Camp Petosega’s Pavilion, and learn how to be adequately prepared and equipped when going on those trips. For more information, please call the programming and sales coordinator at (231) 348-5479 or email [email protected]

Rod Cortright, NASA/JPL Ambassador, will discuss how the planets in our solar system were created and how they go in their current positions. It is not what the textbook taught in school. For more information, please call the programming and sales coordinator at (231) 348-5479 or email [email protected]

Emmet County Parks and Recreation is hosting a car show at the Emmet County Fairgrounds on Sunday, July 24, from 10 AM to 2 PM. Gates open at 9 AM the day of the event for vehicle registration. There is no early sign-up period. A variety of makes and models will fill the fairgrounds for automobile enthusiasts to appreciate at this Cruise-in Car Show! Admission to the event is free for the general public. Participants will be required to pay an entry fee per vehicle entered. Trophies will be awarded with door prizes given out throughout the day. Food vendors will also be on site. For more information, please call the programming and sales coordinator at (231) 348-5479 or email [email protected].

Join us at the Waterfront Event Center at 9pm. We will discuss the various types of telescopes and mounts, and the strengths and weaknesses of each. What do you want to use the telescope for? It makes a big difference in what is the right equipment for you. For more information, please call the programming and sales coordinator at (231) 348-5479 or email [email protected]

Interested in learning how to fly fish? Join our Parks and Recreation staff for an evening of learning at Camp Petosega’s Pavilion. For more information, please call the programming and sales coordinator at (231) 348-5479 or email [email protected]

The Parker Solar Probe is starting to answer fundamental questions and paradoxes about our closest star. Rod Cortright, NASA/JPL Ambassador, will summarize the Parker mission’s discoveries so far. For more information, please call the programming and sales coordinator at (231) 348-5479 or email [email protected]

Rod Cortright, NASA/JPL Ambassador, will discuss the origins of meteor showers and why they occur on a regular basis throughout the year. For more information, please call the programming and sales coordinator at (231) 348-5479 or email [email protected]

Join us at the Waterfront Event Center on August 17 at 8:30 pm for a discussion and presentation on the possibility of extraterrestrial life. Recently, there has been a lot of media coverage about UFOs. This presentation will explore several questions. First, what defines intelligent life (would we know it if we saw it)? What is the probability of life in our galaxy, and what are the important factors and current estimates of those values (the Drake Equation)? Finally, if intelligent beings are out there, why aren’t we hearing from some of them (The Fermi Paradox)? For more information, please call the programming and sales coordinator at (231) 348-5479 or email [email protected]

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) launched on Christmas Day in 2021 and is the largest space telescope in history. It was designed primarily to conduct infrared astronomy and unlike the Hubble telescope, it will be able to see into stellar nurseries, where stars and their systems are born. Join us at the Headlands on Friday, Aug. 12, for a presentation by Dr. Megan Donahue, professor of astronomy at Michigan State University, on what scientists expect from the JWST mission and any updated information in relation to it. For more information, please call the programming and sales coordinator at (231) 348-5479 or email [email protected]

Robert Parrish, International Dark Sky Association Delegate and Michiana/Kalamazoo Astronomical Society Member, will touch upon identifying light pollution’s three main components and how to mitigate it. Also covered will be how human and environmental health is negatively affected by improper lighting, as well as the relationship between crime and outdoor lighting. For more information, please call the programming and sales coordinator at (231) 348-5479 or email [email protected]

Reserve your campsite online now and join us for one of our super fun Halloween Weekends on Saturday, October 1, or on Saturday, October 8! Park staff will be giving an award to the Best Decorated Campsite so campers are encouraged to spruce up their sites to get in the Halloween spirit! Trick-or-treating will take place from 5-7 p.m. with vehicle traffic restricted during that time through the campground. Emmet County Parks and Recreation staff will have free hot dogs, chips, and drinks near the campground office followed by a free Haunted Trail open 7-9 p.m. All activities are weather-permitting and the general public is welcome to come out and join in the fun! To reserve a campsite for either weekend (9/30-10/2 or 10/7-10/9), go to https://www.camppetosega.org/reservations/