The University of Georgia department of physics and astronomy in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences will host its monthly observatory open house Nov. 9 from 7-8:30 p.m. on the fourth floor of the physics building.
Jupiter and the large open cluster of stars known as the Pleiades will be visible if the sky is clear. The Pleiades are known as “the Seven Sisters,” a reference to the seven daughters of Atlas, who held up the celestial sphere in Greek mythology. A complement of binary stars, which are systems that consist of two stars orbiting around their common center of mass, also will be viewable.
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 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.