Society & Culture

UGA observatory open house Sept. 7 to feature Uranus, Neptune and Andromeda Galaxy

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 Sept. 7 from 9-10:30 p.m. on the fourth floor of the physics building.

The distant planets of the solar system, Uranus and Neptune, will be visible if the sky is clear. The Andromeda Galaxy, which is 2 million light years away and the nearest large galaxy to the Milky Way, will be readily visible through the observatory’s telescopes.

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 at UGA. For more information, see www.physast.uga.edu/observatory/schedule.