Campus News Society & Culture

UGA observatory open house April 20 to feature Venus, Mars and Saturn

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 April 20 from 9-10:30 p.m. on the fourth floor of the physics building.

Venus, Mars and Saturn will be visible if the sky is clear. Visitors can view the planets 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 sightings and 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.

The April 20 event is the final observatory open house of the 2011-2012 academic year. Observatory open houses are held monthly during fall and spring semesters. For more information, see www.physast.uga.edu/observatory/schedule.