Observatory open house Oct. 17

After a short pause, the UGA observatory open house returns this Friday Oct. 17 from 8 to 9:30 pm:

During the early part of the viewing, Mars will be visible. In addition Albireo, a double star in the constellation of Cygnus, and the Ring Nebula, a glowing shell of gas blown off a giant star in the final phase of that star's life, also should be visible. The Ring Nebula is in the  constellation of Lyra.

Visitors can view the objects through the 24-inch telescope in the dome on top of the building. Faculty and students from the department will be on hand to point out the various celestial objects and to answer questions. Free parking is available immediately to the north and west of the building, which is located at the corner of Cedar Street and Sanford Drive.

This is a fun campus activity - take a date or take your family. As always, the back up plan incase of cloudy skies is an astronomy talk by professor Loris Magnani, "The Gas and Dust in the Milky Way," in the auditorium of the physics building. Who ever gets to experience such wonderful things, except you?

Image: New image, via the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, shows the dramatic shape and colour of the Ring Nebula, otherwise known as Messier 57.