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 Dec. 7 from 7-8:30 p.m. on the fourth floor of the physics building.
Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, and the open star clusters of the winter constellations will be visible if the skies are clear. The Orion nebula, a large stellar nursery about 1,500 light years away, also will be visible.
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 fall and spring semesters. For more information, see www.physast.uga.edu/observatory/schedule.
