Athens, Ga. – The University of Georgia department of physics and astronomy in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences will host its monthly observatory open house Oct. 19 from 8-9:30 p.m. on the fourth floor of the physics building.
The double cluster of Perseus, which is comprised of two nearby groups of thousands of stars, and the pale blue planet Uranus will be visible if the skies are clear. Late in the evening, Jupiter rises in the east, accompanied by its four largest moons known as the Galilean satellites in honor of their discovery by Galileo Galilei in 1610.
Visitors can view the objects through the 24-inch telescope in the dome on top of the building as well as through several smaller telescopes on the roof. 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. In the event that the sky is not clear, a faculty member will give a lecture in room 202, the main lecture hall in the physics building.
Observatory open houses are held monthly during the fall and spring semesters. For more information, see www.physast.uga.edu/observatory/schedule.
