July 30, 1997
Open House Nights at College Observatory
The Physics Department at Middlebury College
will sponsor a pair of Open House nights at the College Observatory
this summer. The Observatory will be open to the public for viewing
of the heavens on two Wednesday evenings, August 6 and August
13, from 9 pm until 10:30 pm, weather permitting. The moon will
be up both evenings, passing close to the bright planet Venus
in the western sky on August 6. Jupiter and its moons are also
well placed for viewing this month. The Middlebury College Observatory
has a 16-inch computer-controlled telescope equipped with an electronic
camera that can detect objects far fainter than can be seen with
the human eye. In addition, several smaller telescopes will
be available for observing the night sky.
The Middlebury College Observatory is located
on the roof of the Science Center, located on the Middlebury College
campus at the intersection of College Street and Storrs Avenue.
Enter at the north door and follow the signs. These events are
open to the public, and there is no charge. The Open House nights
will take place provided that the sky is clear. If the weather
appears uncertain, visitors may call the observatory at 443-2266,
after 6 PM on the evening of the Open H
ouse for a status
report.