At 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 10, Beaver Lake Nature Center welcomes the CNY Observers for an introductory program about the night sky, focusing on planets and other objects observable during August and September. This outdoor lecture will cover some simple ways to learn the constellations, as well as details about meteor showers (including the Perseid meteor shower), observing satellites and the International Space Station. The planet Saturn will rule the night sky this summer, along with the dwarf planet Ceres and Neptune. This program is free with admission to the Nature Center but pre-registration is required.

In case of cloudy weather, an alternative “cloud date” is scheduled for 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 17.