Celebrate National Astronomy Day by star gazing at Connecticut College
Connecticut College will celebrate National Astronomy Day by providing the public with binocular and telescopic views of the night sky on Saturday, April 28, from 7:30 to 10 p.m. at the Olin Observatory in Olin Science Center. The free event is open to astronomy enthusiasts of all ages. Highlights of the evening include talks by guest speakers, hands-on activities for children, and views of the moon, Orion nebula, and three planets - Venus, Mars and Saturn, weather permitting. Guest speaker Liz Jordan, lecturer at the Treworgy Planetarium at Mystic Seaport and member of the Thames Amateur Astronomical Society, will give a talk titled, "The Stormy Sun: How Solar Weather Affects Earth," at 7:30 p.m. and again at 8:45 p.m. Guest speaker Lorraine Allen, professor of physics at the United States Coast Guard Academy, will give a talk titled, "Fast and Furious: Heating and Acceleration of the Solar Wind," at 8 p.m. and again at 9 p.m. "Attendants will gain knowledge of telescopes and the night sky, and will have access to people knowledgeable in the subject of astronomy who can answer their questions," said Leslie Brown, associate professor of physics and astronomy at Connecticut College. The event is dedicated to the memory of Donna Magee, a member of the Thames Amateur Astronomical Society. It is hosted by the Thames Amateur Astronomical Society, the Children's Museum of Southeastern Connecticut, the Treworgy Planetarium at Mystic Seaport and the Connecticut College Department of Physics, Astronomy and Geophysics. For more information, please contact Professor Leslie Brown at (860) 439-2345.
April 25, 2012