BY KAREN BOSSICK

Take an educational tour of the night sky and spring constellations on Monday when the Idaho Conservation League stages a star viewing party as part of Dark Sky Awareness Week.

Astronomer Tim Frazier, president of the Magic Valley Astronomical Society, will give an introduction to the spring sky, featuring several prominent constellations during a free star party from 8:30 to 10 p.m. at the Sawtooth National Recreation Area parking lot seven miles north of Ketchum.

He’ll tell the lore behind the celestial patterns and offer telescopes for viewing star clusters, nebulae and galaxies.

Central Idaho recently was named the nation’s first Dark Sky Reserve. Betsy Mizell of ICL will be on hand to tell more about how the reserve is preserving our nighttime ambiance and how it’s benefiting our health, environment and economy.