Drone. Butler Eagle File Photo

In Mars, the stars won’t be the only things lighting up the night sky. Hundreds of drones soon will rise in formation, turning the sky into a canvas of science.

The residents of Mars are gearing up for Mars New Year, a two-day festival observing the Martian new year being held Friday and Saturday, June 6 and 7.

While we here on Earth observe one year passing every 12 months, on the planet Mars, one year’s time passes every 22 months.

According to Gregg Hartung, who has served as mayor of Mars for 10 years, the idea of celebrating the Martian new year was put together in 2015.

“The festival came about due to many people within the community wanting to find a way to celebrate the uniqueness of our name, ‘Mars,’” Hartung said.

The festival, which is free to attend, offers different exhibits, hands-on activities, a live musical performance and, of course, drones.

Whether attending the festival one or both nights, attendees will have the opportunity to enjoy the drones as they light up the sky both nights starting at 10 p.m.

Hartung believes that coupling a dazzling drone show with the Mars New Year event, made sense from a technological stance and because of the ever-growing fascination with drones.

“I think the technology of drones is so curious to people … but the idea of having drones at robotics is what makes our festival unique,” Hartung said.

In previous years, attendees got to observe 100 drones soar through the air synchronized to music for a stellar light show. This year, however, the sky will be extra bright as an additional 100 drones are included each night.

The show is performed by Firefly Drone Shows, a Michigan company specializing in creating drone light shows around the country.

According to Matthew Sanker, lead producer for Firefly Drone Shows, Mars New Year was the first project the company undertook when starting to work with municipalities.

The idea of expanding the show in Mars came together after discussions with the mayor and other borough officials. It’s something both Hartung and Sanker are excited about.

“It’s going to be twice the size and twice the excitement,” Sanker said.

All of the drones used for the shows and the systems that control them are built in-house and are proprietary property of the company.

“The drones we’re currently using are the Firefly Gen 2 drone, and they were specifically designed for putting on these sophisticated shows,” Sanker said.

With 3,600 lumens of power, the drones are exceptionally bright against the night sky.

Attendees can expect to see quite the show, as the drones are paired with an in-house mix of music selected to represent the essence of the festival.

“With the themes of space, Mars and exploration, the show will be paired with electronic music that will be a very good pairing,” Sanker said.