Public invited to attend dark sky forum and astronomy party Saturday in Julian

DarkSky International, a nonprofit that tries to protect the night sky from light pollution, will hold a public teach-in Saturday in Julian followed by an evening of stargazing.

The free Dark Sky Festival will begin at 3 p.m. at the Menghini Winery at 1150 Julian Orchard Drive with an assortment of kids’ activities and exhibitor booths, followed at 4:30 p.m. by a roundtable in which scientists will discuss how light and its absence affect everything from astronomy to wildlife to human health.

The scientists include several prominent UC San Diego researchers, among them James C. Nieh, who studies how artificial light affects pollinators.

As the sun begins to set, everything will shift to observing the night sky, which is expected to be clear. It’s possible participants will be able to see a few Perseid meteors before the program ends at 11 p.m.