Paint it Pink Fun Run Oct. 19

Main Street Gardnerville (mainstreetgardnerville.org) culminates their 2024 “We Run This Town” fun run series with an Oct. 19 “Paint it Pink” 5K run/walk along Gardnerville’s Martin Slough Trail. Rain or shine, the event gets underway at 8 a.m. at Heritage Park, 1447 Courthouse Alley in Gardnerville.

The run is a fundraiser for the nonprofit MSG, who works with stakeholders to “revitalize downtown Gardnerville utilizing design, organization, promotion, and district vitality to develop the unique identity and preserve the historic nature of our community.”

Participants are encouraged to wear pink in support of breast cancer awareness and research, and $5 from every registration will benefit the cancer treatment centers at Carson Valley Health and Carson Tahoe Health. Both organizations will be onsite to provide information and resources to the community.

Pre-registration is $25 for runners age 11 and above; runners 10 and younger are free. Cost increases to $35 the day of the event and is available starting at 7 a.m. There’s also a $20 virtual option which must be completed within 2 weeks of the live race. Online registration is available at runsignup.com/Race/NV/Gardnerville/PaintitPink.

Runners who have participated in all of the three-part 2024 MSG race series will earn a commemorative “We Run This Town” tee shirt.

Winter Coat Giveaway event tomorrow

Carson Valley Friends In Service Helping and Partnership Douglas County host a Fall Coat Giveaway 3-6 p.m. Octo. 10 at the FISH Family Resource Center, 921 Mitch Drive in the Gardnerville Ranchos.

Offerings include coats, hats, scarves, gloves, boots, and blankets. BBQ hot dogs will be served along with other snacks and drinks. Kids can enjoy the bounce house, and attendees will have a chance to win raffle prizes.

Call 775-265-FISH (3474) for more information.

October offers sky gazing opportunities

Weather pending from Oct. 13 through the end of the month, we may have a chance to observe Comet C/2023 A3 (also known as Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) cross the skies. Viewing this ancient celestial phenomenon is being called a “once in a lifetime” event, as it won’t come near Earth again for another 80,000 years.

At its closest approach, Comet C/2023 A3 will be around 44 million miles away from Earth. It’s anticipated the comet may be visible with the naked eye by looking toward the western horizon in the evening hours after sunset; binoculars or a telescope will help.

Check out NASA’s “What’s Up for October 2024” video for more information and other helpful skywatching pointers: science.nasa.gov/skywatching/whats-up/. To learn more about Comet C/2023 A3, visit NASA’s “Watch the Sky” blog at blogs.nasa.gov/Watch_the_Skies/.

The annual Orionids meteor shower is active now through Nov. 7 and peaks Oct. 20-21 this year, though light from the waning moon is likely to impact visibility.

This meteor shower is the result of Earth passing through the dust and debris trail left behind from Comet Halley. When material from this trail enters Earth’s atmosphere at high speeds and burns up, it results in what we commonly refer to as “shooting stars.”

The Orionids are named for the constellation Orion, since that appears to be the origin point for this particular meteor shower. The meteors don’t actually come from the constellation, but looking toward Orion can serve as a reference point when scanning the sky in search of shooting stars. As with all nighttime sky gazing, try to get as far away from ambient light as possible.

Here’s to hoping for clear skies in the coming weeks and heading outside to spot some sky magic.

Amy Roby can be reached at ranchosroundup@hotmail.com.