The UW-Whitewater Observatory‘s telescopes will be open (weather permitting) from 7-9:30pm on both on Fri., Oct. 12, and Sat., Oct. 13. Come to see planets, star clusters, and nebulae with Dr. Juliana Constantinescu from the Physics Dept.! If the weather is uncooperative, there will be tours of the big telescope to show how it operates, even if the dome has to stay closed. This family-friendly event is part of the state-wide Wisconsin Science Festival.
There will be examples of how astronomers break light up into a rainbow spectrum to learn about the chemical composition of stars and nebulae. Computers will be set up to look at data from modern telescopes on a “citizen science” website set up by Dr. Bob Benjamin.
Free parking closest to the observatory: Lot 2 (203 N. Prince Street, Whitewater)
You can learn more, before or after the event! There are websites, such as the education page of the U.S.-funded Virtual Astronomical Observatory and the WorldWide Telescope of the American Astronomical Society. UW-Whitewater students and staff can read articles from Sky & Telescope, a magazine for “the knowledgeable amateur astronomer” via several EBSCOhost databases, including Academic Search Complete. Other Wisconsin residents can access it through EBSCO databases provided statewide via Badgerlink, such as MasterFILE Complete. Andersen Library also has books, such as Nightwatch: A practical guide to viewing the universe (3rd-Floor Main Collection, QB64 .D535 1998; preview of some text at Google Books).
Please ask a librarian (choose chat or email, phone 262-472-1032, or visit the Reference Desk) if you’d like assistance with finding materials.
