News
UMass Dartmouth Observatory Open House is September 18
The UMass Dartmouth Observatory will be open to the general public during a free open house and night-sky viewing session at the campus Observatory on Saturday, September 18, 2010 at 7 p.m.
The UMass Dartmouth Observatory will be open to the general public during a free open house and night-sky viewing session at the campus Observatory on Saturday, September 18, 2010 at 7 p.m. Viewing will take place through the Observatory's 16-inch telescope and other telescopes operated by the Astronomical Society of Southern New England (ASSNE).
September 18 happens to be "International Observe the Moon Night," so the focus of the evening will be telescopic tours of the spectacular craters, plains, mountains and valleys of our nearest cosmic neighbor. Also on the program will be the planet Jupiter, which is gloriously bright in the evening sky, and perhaps the planets Uranus and Neptune. (Sorry, Pluto!) We'll top off the evening with views of star clusters and a galaxy or two.
This event will take place only if the weather permits (clear skies and non-frostbite temperature). In the event of cancellation, an announcement will be available Saturday around 5 p.m. at www.assne.org or by calling (508) 999-8715 for a recorded message.
The Observatory is located in the field to the right of the main entrance to UMass Dartmouth, 285 Old Westport Rd., North Dartmouth, Massachusetts. Parking is available in designated spaces on the campus Ring Road or in lot 17. Admission is free, but donations to support the Observatory's educational programs are strongly encouraged. Children are welcome, if accompanied by an adult.
The Astronomical Society of Southern New England is a non-profit club of amateur astronomers who serve Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts with educational outreach programs and public viewing. ASSNE assists UMass Dartmouth in operating the University Observatory and telescope for public viewings. The ASSNE motto is "To Educate and Inspire." For more information about the Astronomical Society of Southern New England, check online at http://www.assne.org/.
For more information about the UMass Dartmouth Observatory or to become an individual or corporate sponsor, please contact Prof. Alan Hirshfeld at ahirshfeld@umassd.edu or 508-999-8715.
Upcoming Observatory open houses:
Saturday, September 18, 2010, 7:00 pm
Saturday, October 30, 2010, 7:00 pm
Saturday, December 4, 2010, 7:00 pm.
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ASTRONOMY WEBSITE OF THE MONTH:
Want a personal planetarium right on your home computer? Check out Stellarium, a FREE open source planetarium program for desktop computers. Once you set your observing location and the date and time, Stellarium displays a realistic sky in 3D, just like what you would see with the naked eye, binoculars or a telescope. You can see what the sky looks like from anywhere in the world, even what the sky looked like in the past or what it will look like in the future. I've tested it out on my own computer and the results are impressive. Version are available for Mac, Windows, and Linux systems.
A full description, screenshots, and download instructions can be found at: http://www.stellarium.org
September 18 happens to be "International Observe the Moon Night," so the focus of the evening will be telescopic tours of the spectacular craters, plains, mountains and valleys of our nearest cosmic neighbor. Also on the program will be the planet Jupiter, which is gloriously bright in the evening sky, and perhaps the planets Uranus and Neptune. (Sorry, Pluto!) We'll top off the evening with views of star clusters and a galaxy or two.
This event will take place only if the weather permits (clear skies and non-frostbite temperature). In the event of cancellation, an announcement will be available Saturday around 5 p.m. at www.assne.org or by calling (508) 999-8715 for a recorded message.
The Observatory is located in the field to the right of the main entrance to UMass Dartmouth, 285 Old Westport Rd., North Dartmouth, Massachusetts. Parking is available in designated spaces on the campus Ring Road or in lot 17. Admission is free, but donations to support the Observatory's educational programs are strongly encouraged. Children are welcome, if accompanied by an adult.
The Astronomical Society of Southern New England is a non-profit club of amateur astronomers who serve Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts with educational outreach programs and public viewing. ASSNE assists UMass Dartmouth in operating the University Observatory and telescope for public viewings. The ASSNE motto is "To Educate and Inspire." For more information about the Astronomical Society of Southern New England, check online at http://www.assne.org/.
For more information about the UMass Dartmouth Observatory or to become an individual or corporate sponsor, please contact Prof. Alan Hirshfeld at ahirshfeld@umassd.edu or 508-999-8715.
Upcoming Observatory open houses:
Saturday, September 18, 2010, 7:00 pm
Saturday, October 30, 2010, 7:00 pm
Saturday, December 4, 2010, 7:00 pm.
------------
ASTRONOMY WEBSITE OF THE MONTH:
Want a personal planetarium right on your home computer? Check out Stellarium, a FREE open source planetarium program for desktop computers. Once you set your observing location and the date and time, Stellarium displays a realistic sky in 3D, just like what you would see with the naked eye, binoculars or a telescope. You can see what the sky looks like from anywhere in the world, even what the sky looked like in the past or what it will look like in the future. I've tested it out on my own computer and the results are impressive. Version are available for Mac, Windows, and Linux systems.
A full description, screenshots, and download instructions can be found at: http://www.stellarium.org