This semester, ETSU’s observatory will begin hosting open house events for students. Whether you’re an astronomy student, an experienced star-gazer or brand new to the subject, these special events are an experience for everyone.
“We have numerous portable telescopes. Our current ones are nine in one quarter inches in diameter, for the public to come up and view different celestial objects,” said Dr. Gary Henson, director of ETSU’s observatory and planetarium. “Everything from the moon (and) planets, to star clusters and galaxies.”
ETSU’s observatory and planetarium offer “star parties” (open houses), meteor shower events, lectures on astronomy and much more. Through the observatory, students will have the opportunity to experience a close-up view of our current solar system, and will also be able to travel forwards and backwards in time with the virtual sky in the planetarium. Faculty will help guide students through the experience.
A few of the upcoming open house events include: “Early Results from the James Webb Space Telescope” (Sept. 3), “Why Do Galaxies Have Spirals” (Oct. 1), “Data-Driven Astronomy” (Feb. 25), “Fusion Reactors in Space” (March 25) and “UFOs and Life in the Universe” (April 22).
“Almost everybody’s had the chance to look through a telescope at some point,” said Dr. Henson. “More and more, people’s lives are busier. They get used to a virtual world. I would encourage people, if you’ve never actually seen Saturn or Jupiter for yourself, first-hand through a telescope, this fall in particular will be excellent; most of the planet Saturn and Jupiter are going to be visible in the evening sky.”
To sign up for an event, visit www.etsu.edu/observatory or www.etsu.edu/planetarium. Open houses will be held on one Saturday of every month and are free to attend. There is no limit on space; however, weather may interrupt or delay certain events. The phone number for the observatory is (423)- 929-3382.
