Resources for public astronomy in New Mexico got a boost this week with the announcement of a new observatory to be built at Heron Lake State Park. The observatory is the third of four planned for the New Mexico State Parks system. Two are already in place at City of Rocks and Clayton Lake state parks. The observatories are part of the division's award-winning "Reach for the Stars" program.

Launched in 2004, "Reach for the Stars" brings night sky interpretation events to parks locations throughout the state. Topics covered include constellation tours and starlore, night sky friendly lighting and views through telescopes of objects within our solar system and beyond. Last year, there were 150 "Reach for the Stars" events offered.

Many New Mexico State Parks have the advantage of being located some distance from intrusive light domes that blot out the stars above cities. As a result, park visitors can experience a part of our natural world that might not be visible from their own back yards.

I have been fortunate to be part of the "Reach for the Stars" program from its early days. What I notice when people get a chance to see celestial objects up close through telescopes or, with the unaided eye during a green laser guided tour of stars and constellations, is their excitement about something that before seemed foreign or hard to understand. For many, the re-awakening of their sense of wonder and discovery creates a shift in perspective and a newfound connection to the sky of our ancestors.

For the second year, the Night Sky Program has scheduled a number of "Reach for the Stars" events in collaboration with New Mexico State Parks. Check the listings at www.nmparks.com to find an event near you.

Stargazing and historic notes for this week:

Mercury: Catch the innermost planet near the Pleiades star cluster, low in the west following sundown.

Mars: The Red Planet moves into the constellation Cancer where it will pass in front of the Beehive star cluster later this month.

Saturn: This planet remains high in the evening sky near Leo's brightest star, Regulus.

Jupiter: Our system's largest planet rises before 2 a.m. this week. It will rise before midnight by month's end.

Eta Aquarid Meteor shower: Look for these remnants of Halley's comet in the night sky. The shower peaks in the pre-dawn around 4 a.m. on May 5. New moon will allow for dark skies. Meteor rate may reach 40 to 70 per hour. The meteors will appear to emanate from the constellation Aquarius near the southeastern horizon.

Anniversary: On May 5, 1961, Alan Shephard became America's first man in space with a sub-orbital flight aboard the Mercury program's Freedom 7.

Peter Lipscomb is director of the Night Sky Program for the New Mexico Heritage Preservation Alliance. Contact him at plipscomb@nmheritage.org.