Families and individuals of all ages are invited to the Paradise area of Mount Rainier National Park for a special program on Saturday, Oct. 2. The event starts at 8 p.m. in the lobby of the Paradise Inn with a short presentation about the National Park Service “Night Skies” program. The National Park Service has come to embrace night skies as one of the many scenic vistas that the agency is a steward of. It is essential to keeping a park whole and touches on almost every aspect that is important — from sustainability to stargazers, and animals to ancient ruins. At 8:30 p.m., there will be outdoor stargazing with Tacoma Astronomical Society (TAS) volunteers and their telescopes. Volunteers will also assist visitors to make astronomy devices called star finders.

If weather makes stargazing difficult, the party will move inside the Paradise Inn lobby for star finder making and a 45-minute film about the Milky Way galaxy.

Park Ranger Curt Jacquot may be contacted for more information at (360) 569-2211, extension 6426.