How closely does Death Valley National Park replicate Mars? Close enough that NASA and the National Park Service have teamed up for the inaugural "Mars and the Mojave Festival" this weekend.

A mix of lectures, field trips and skygazing, the 3-day event includes jaunts to only-in-Death-Valley locales such as Badwater (the lowest spot in North America, 282 feet below sea level), Mars Hill and Ubehebe Crater. Maybe people will see a dust devil, such as one actually spotted on Mars Feb. 16 by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Featuring a lengthy list of heavyweight presenters from the worlds of science and research (including Lucinda Land, executive director of the Mars Society), it sounds brainy and sunny and fun all at the same time. If you're in that far-out neighborhood (Las Vegas; we're looking at you) drop in any of the free events that start Friday night and continue through early Sunday.

Badwater photos courtesy of National Park Service.