July 18, 2000

Middlebury College to Present Summer Series of Open House Nights

at Bicentennial Hall’s New Observatory Beginning July 25

Public Invited to Star-Gaze During the Next Four Tuesday

Nights

MIDDLEBURY, Vt.- On the next four Tuesday evenings from 9 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

starting on July 25, Middlebury College will offer star-gazing from Bicentennial

Hall’s observatory. Free and open to the public, the summer series will be the

first open houses to be held in the new observatory. The Middlebury College

physics department will open the facility for viewing of the heavens, weather

permitting, on the last Tuesday in July and three additional Tuesdays in August-July

25, Aug.1, Aug. 8, and Aug. 15.

The new observatory dome is equipped with a 16-inch computer-controlled telescope.

Several smaller telescopes will also be available for observing the night sky.

Cloud cover obscures visibility, however, so the open house nights will take

place only if the sky is reasonably clear. If the weather appears uncertain,

check with the observatory at 802-443-2266, after 6 p.m. on the evening of an

open house for a status report.

Bicentennial Way is the second right turn (when heading west) after the yellow

blinking light on College Street (Route 125). The parking lot is at Bicentennial

Hall at the end of the long drive. Inside the building, signs will mark the

way to the elevators to the top floor and the observatory.

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