What can you expect to see at the Community Observatory this weekend?

 

Welcome to Fall. This weather has us watching the forecast to see if we are likely to be able to have a clear sky on Friday and Saturday. Friday is looking possible and Saturday is likely. We will also have an almost full Moon with the full “Harvest Moon” falling on Sunday. We will have also switched to our winter schedule of 7:30-9:30 PM this weekend. Be SURE to check our calendar on communityobservatory.com after 3 PM on the day you want to attend to make sure we will be open.

 

We have solar viewing during the Sherwood Demonstration Garden’s “Fall into Gardening” event on Saturday Morning. The weather is looking good for that. Expect the Sun to be impressive in our dedicated solar scopes that can show both a white-light view that shows the surface details like sunspots and our “hydrogen-alpha” scopes that show flares and prominences. Our dedicated crew will be there to describe what you are seeing.

 

Saturday night is also a special night at the Observatory. The Community Observatory is part of a NASA affiliated organization called the “Night Sky Network.” They coordinate the “International Observe the Moon Night” near the Harvest Moon each year. They encourage individuals, clubs, and observatories around the world to focus on our natural satellite for one night. There will be amazing views as well as activities for all ages. Families are encouraged to come.

 

Our activities that night will include a scavenger hunt, crafts for the kids, a lunar oriented “Sky Theater” presentation, and amazing views of the Moon through our big telescopes. Join us at 7:30 until 9:30. The image today is of the Moon that has been processed to see the minerals on its surface.

 

The bright Moon will certainly dominate the sky this weekend but it won’t be the only thing visible. Saturn is near “opposition” which means that it is opposite the Sun and that we are at our closest to it. It is still one of the most amazing objects in the sky. For many of us, seeing Saturn for the first time has been the beginning of a life-long fascination with astronomy. If you have seen it through a big telescope, you know what I mean. If you have never seen it, what are you waiting for? Join us Friday or Saturday this week.

 

The Fall sky also holds some excellent deep sky objects. This is the best season for viewing our neighboring Andromeda Galaxy. At ONLY 2.5 million light years away, it is our closest full-sized galactic neighbor. It is, for those of us at this latitude at least, the only object outside the Milky Way, that can be seen without optical aid. There are also many other deep sky wonders that we will feature this weekend. Expect to see a supernova in a distant galaxy, some beautiful nebulae, and star clusters.

 

Please, as always, check our calendar on communityobservatory.com for last-minute closures before you come.  Come prepared to pay $2 to the college for parking.