Some clouds this morning will give way to generally sunny skies for the afternoon. High near 65F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph..

Clear skies. Low 48F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph.

A James Webb Space Telescope NIRCam composite image (above) of the planet Jupiter from July 27. “The Great Red Spot, a famous storm so big it could swallow Earth, appears white here … as do other clouds,” NASA has explained, because these features are reflecting a lot of sunlight. “The numerous bright white ‘spots’ and ‘streaks’ are likely very high-altitude cloud tops of convective storms,” Webb scientist Heidi Hammel has said. (Photo courtesy of NASA)

A James Webb Space Telescope NIRCam composite image (above) of the planet Jupiter from July 27. “The Great Red Spot, a famous storm so big it could swallow Earth, appears white here … as do other clouds,” NASA has explained, because these features are reflecting a lot of sunlight. “The numerous bright white ‘spots’ and ‘streaks’ are likely very high-altitude cloud tops of convective storms,” Webb scientist Heidi Hammel has said. (Photo courtesy of NASA)

Telluride is a setting for festivals, with appearances by luminaries from the worlds of music and film.

But another kind of festival is coming up where stars are literal, and the setting is the universe. Call it an Astro feast: over the next several days, there are more astronomical events for night-sky enthusiasts than there have been all year. Here’s a rundown.

TOP OF THE PINES TALK AND STARGAZING

One of the best places for stargazing in this region is Top of the Pines, a recently certified Dark Sky Park just a few miles outside Ridgway off CR5.

Tonight (Friday), there’ll be a guest speaker at TOP from the group that does the dark-sky certifying: Bettymaya Foott, director of engagement for the International Dark Sky Association, will offer the most up-to-date information available — her presentation is titled “State of the Science” — on light pollution and its harmful effects on the environment, a key reason why the Town of Ridgway, Norwood, Nucla and Naturita and TOP have all become certified dark-sky places, and why boundaries for a proposed San Miguel County Dark Sky Reserve were recently approved by the IDA.

Foott’s talk, “made possible by the support of TOP and the Black Canyon Astronomical Society,” is presented by the Ridgway-Ouray Community Council (better known as ROCC) and will be followed by a laser-guided constellation tour under TOP’s pristine, starry canopy. The forecast in Ridgway at press time called for a few clouds giving way to clear conditions and a low of 49 degrees, so bundle up. “Bring a camp chair, a red flashlight and binoculars” for the constellation tour, organizers advise (telescopes will be available for viewing, as well). Admission is free for ROCC members; a $5 donation is suggested for non-members. Walk-in tent camping will be available at TOP on Friday; you can see camping amenities at TopOfThePines.org. If the weather turns inclement, the dark-sky presentation will be held beneath TOP’s freshly remodeled pavilion. If you’d like to make a night of it at TOP — perhaps to watch brilliant Jupiter traverse the sky from mid-evening until dawn — and would like to camp, email info@topofhtepines.org for reservations and mention the ROCC Talk.

On Saturday, W. Lowell Putnam, grandnephew of mathematician-astronomer Percival Lowell, will offer a presentation on the historic Lowell Observatory, and its work, at the Sherbino Theater.

Putnam is the Sole Trustee of the iconic observatory, a distinction passed down over the decades from one family member to the next. The observatory’s setting has proved prescient. “Flagstaff is still the original dark sky community in the United States — the first International Dark Sky City — and on Main Street in Flagstaff, you can look up and see the Milky Way on a clear night,” Putnam told an interviewer. The dwarf planet Pluto was discovered at the Lowell in 1930; the observatory’s astronomers continue to do research to this day, surveying the Kuiper belt, searching for near-earth asteroids and exo-planetary systems, studying supermassive and low-mass stars, and more.

Putnam is likely to have much to say not only about the Lowell’s work, but also about the recent arrival of the James Webb Space Telescope on the stellar scene (there will be a Q&A following his presentation, according to Sherbino arts programmer Tricia Oakland). Putnam is in Ridgway “because we have a local citizen who has a lot of interest in

science related lectures, has a lot of connections, including with the Lowell, put out some feelers and worked hard to make this happen,” Oakland said. “A lot of people have said to me, this should be really cool. The timing of his visit is kind of accidental: we have new images from space which are shifting a lot of our ideas, and here is someone who can speak about astronomy, and the history, and where we’re going, and what’s next.”

In addition to employing a team of astronomers, the Lowell continues to welcome the public through a variety of programs. Everyone is welcome, regardless of what sort of training you may (or may not) have had in astronomy (people from all over the world come to gaze through the Lowell’s telescopes). Putnam’s presentation at the Sherbino begins Saturday at 7:30 p.m.; to learn more about the Lowell Observatory, an easy six-hour drive from Telluride, visit lowell.edu.

Next Thursday through Saturday brings the annual Black Canyon Astro Fest. Despite its title (which refers to its national park locale) the fest will be a little easier to access for Tellurideans this year. That’s because in addition to ranger talks and night-sky viewing events at Black Canyon National Park’s South Rim Campground, on Thursday, Dr. Sharolyn Anderson, physical scientist with the National Parks Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division, will present “a talk about the value of dark skies and how the National Park Service protects night skies in parks” in the Montrose Centennial Room (request a reservation by emailing BLCA_info@nps.gov). In some national parks, “it’s possible to see up to 5,000 stars throughout the night” in contrast to the 100 stars, at most, visible in urban areas, according to the park’s website. Black Canyon, which was certified as a Dark Sky Park in 2015, “preserves a primordial dark sky largely unaltered by modernity.”

Following Dr. Anderson’s presentation, which goes from 7-8 p.m., there’ll be stargazing with telescopes at the Montrose Botanic Garden until 10 p.m. or so. The fest continues Friday and Saturday in the national park. Visit tinyurl.com/2dsst4a to learn more.

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