Gaze at the stars at Bryce Canyon fest

Some of the most spectacular star-gazing in the United States will be available to visitors at Bryce Canyon National Park this week.

During the seventh annual Bryce Canyon Astronomy Festival from Wednesday through Saturday, park rangers will give talks on subjects such as the contributions of the Hubble Space Telescope and the stars visible from the park.

John Dobson, a former monk who invented the popular "Dobsonian" telescope that is designed to make quality backyard viewing less expensive, will speak in the Bryce Canyon Lodge on Friday.

Members of the Salt Lake Astronomical Society are helping with the festival, which is expected to draw crowds, said Ann House, the society's vice president. "We have thousands that come every year, and from all over the world."

Most places in the United States and Europe have too much light pollution to offer good views of the Milky Way, but not Bryce.

For more information, go to the National Park Service's Web site at: nps.gov/brca/planyourvisit/astronomyprograms.htm.