Spring 2006 Public Astronomy Nights

The Spring Public Astronomy Nights, sponsored by the SCSU Physics, Astronomy and Engineering Science Department and the College of Science and Engineering, are starting next week. Come and check out the new, more comfortable seats and other upgrades completed over spring break. A webpage highlighting the renovations is available on Dave William's website.

This spring's planetarium shows will feature the winter and spring constellations as well as highlighting the planet Saturn, currently visible in the evening skies. After the planetarium shows, if it is clear, professors and students will operate telescopes to show some of the items discussed during the planetarium shows. Telescopes will range from an 8 inch diameter up to a 17 ½ inch diameter telescope that is 8 feet long. Some of the items that can be viewed will be the stars Betelgeuse, Rigel, and Sirius. Deep sky objects such as Orion's Nebula and the Bee Hive Cluster will also be seen. Of course, Saturn in all its ringed beauty will be seen through telescopes.

Astronomy Public Nights are held in the SCSU Planetarium in the basement of the Wick Science Building and outside about 1/2 a block west of the Wick Science Building.

The calendar for Spring 2006 Public Astronomy Nights:

Monday: March 20, March 27

Tuesday: March 21, March 28

Wednesday: March 22, March 29

Show times each evening are at 7:00, 7:45 and 8:30 p.m. While this event is free and open to the public limited seating makes it necessary for us to require that you make a reservation for you and/or your group. You can do this by calling (320) 308-4728 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. or by emailing the following information to:

1. the date of the show that you wish to see,

2. the time of the show,

3. the number of people attending, and

4. your name with phone number or email address.

We will contact you to confirm your reservation. If you don't call or email for a reservation you won't get a seat because this event fills up fast.

Linknotes:

1. The Robert H. Wick Science Building - formerly the Math Science Center. Click on the link for additional information including a map.

Maximum Distance from the Sun

• Mercury()
  43.4 million miles

  Venus()
  68 million miles

• Earth()
  94.5 million miles

  Mars()
  155 million miles

• Jupiter()
  508 million miles

  Saturn ()
  938 million miles

• Uranus()
  1.87 billion miles

  Neptune()
  2.82 billion miles