Flight 93 memorial, astronomy clubs and the public equal a night under the stars

Looking for something different and interesting to do Friday night.

How about sharing the star-studded sky above Flight 93 National Memorial with astronomy classes, rangers and like-minded visitors?

Everyone will be part of a brand new experience including the astronomy clubs from Cumberland, Maryland, and Hollidaysburg. It's free.

Why the memorial

It’s a place where people honor the actions of the 40 heroes who fought suicide hijack terrorists over the skies of Somerset County on Sept. 11, 2001. The plane many experts believe was to be used as a weapon against the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. The passengers and crew united knowing it would more than likely mean certain death and the end result was just that when the battle brought the plane down just outside the small town of Shanksville.

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This memorial is a monument not only to those on Flight 93 that morning, but about being selfless, compassionate and courageous in the way one lives their life. It is a place for people to share, learn and reflect. This is what the Friends of Flight 93 partnering with the National Park Service want to provide with this exclusive event.

"It’s about communities coming together at a place where there’s peace and being in each other’s presence while star gazing at the sky and thinking about what those 40 people did," said Courtney Claycomb, communication and special events coordinator for Friends of Flight 93 National Memorial.

Established in 2009, the Friends of Flight 93 National Memorial is the official nonprofit partner of Flight 93 National Memorial.

Where and When

Take Route 281 north 1.7 miles to US 219 north. Travel 8.7 miles north on US 219 to the Stoystown/Jennerstown/US 30 exit; turn right on US 30 East. Travel 8.5 miles on US 30 East. Turn right into the park entrance. The entrance will be marked with official National Park Service signs.

The event will begin at 8 p.m., 20 minutes before nightfall, with an orientation to the national park.

Registering for event

To register go to www.flight93friends.org/events, visit the event page and click on Friends Under the Stars. Participants will be notified via email if there is a cancellation due to possible weather conditions changes.

What to expect

The public will be able to view the night sky through various telescopes on site. One of the best meteorshowers of the year returns with peak activity this month, making for the perfect end to the summer for sky gazing.

Participants may be able to view Saturn and the Perseids, a prolific meteor shower associated with the comet Swift-Tuttle that is predicted to put on a good show this year.

The weather

According to Accuweather, there is no rain in sight in Somerset County Friday night. By nightfall, 10 minutes before the group is to meet at the memorial, the temperature will be dipping from the day's high at 77 to reach around 58 degrees by the end of the night. There are hints of the skies being partly cloudy. All good.

Why are memorial events important?

"As someone who belongs to the younger generation and was almost three years old when 9/11 happened, I like to think that my interest in Flight 93 National Memorial is similar yet different from the generations who had experienced this tragic event in our country," Claycomb said.

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"It can be difficult to have an emotional connection to something that you’ve never truly experienced, she said. "But when you visit Flight 93 National Memorial and take a moment to soak everything in. It really leaves you speechless."

In 2020, Claycomb visited the memorial as a college student for the first time in 2020.

"I often think back and reflect on the feelings I felt when visiting Flight 93 for the first time. The memorial spoke to me in a unique, powerful way that I cannot describe," she said.

Claycomb became an intern in 2022 with Friends of Flight 93. She has encountered a passion for the memorial and learned why it is important to individual volunteers, rangers, locals and visitors who come from throughout the country and beyond.

This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Flight 93 memorial and visitors make for a night under the stars