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Family Astronomy Night and Celebration of Apollo 11
July 19, 2019 @ 8:30 pm - 10:30 pm EDT
Did you know that this week is the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing on the moon? Are you aware that this is the best time to see the planet Jupiter in the evening sky for the rest of the year? And that Saturn is now showing in the evening as well? Come to the MSU St. Andrews in Midland to learn more!
Families with school-age and older children are invited to an evening of astronomy and observing. We will begin with a short (~ 1 hr) presentation entitled “Apollo 11: the 50-Year Anniversary.” We will cover the motivation for the Apollo program, as well as its accomplishments and its significance. And, as always, we will show you how to find the planets and other bright objects that are currently in the sky this month.
And, if the skies are clear, we will follow with an observing session using our fine collection of telescopes. Jupiter is visible anytime after sunset this month, both by eye and by telescope. (Jupiter is much brighter than most stars and can be seen with the unaided eye.) Saturn is likely to poke out through the trees at the end of our session. If we are lucky, we may even be able to catch a glimpse of Ceres, the largest known asteroid, later in the evening! Plus, there will be some nice star clusters and deep sky objects visible. We have several different types of telescopes for you to look through.
There are always other options to see on Astronomy and Telescope Night. Many stars and constellations will be visible from our St. Andrews site. We can help you learn to identify the brighter stars by name, as well as the brighter constellations. It all depends on what interests our attendees the most!
We are located at 1910 W. St. Andrews, at the next driveway west of the Grace A. Dow Library.
Date: Friday, July 19, 8:30 PM, with observing until 10:30 PM if the skies are clear. In case of clouds or bad weather, come anyway! We will still be offering the presentation on the anniversary of Apollo 11 and what’s in the sky this month. Plus, we will answer any general astronomy questions you bring.
