UTSA astronomers host 'Friday Nights, Celestial Lights' on Friday, March 25

Jupiter and moons

By Christi Fish
Public Affairs Specialist

(March 24, 2011)--UTSA's faculty astronomers invite the community to the UTSA Main Campus on Friday, March 25 to enjoy "Friday Nights, Celestial Lights." The family-friendly astronomy event is free and open to the public.

The evening will begin at 7:30 p.m. with a 40-minute lecture, "The Sky at Other Wavelengths." The lecture will be given by Eric Schlegel, Vaughn Family Professor in the UTSA Department of Physics and Astronomy, in Science Building Room 2.02.02 on the UTSA Main Campus.

At approximately 8:15 p.m., weather permitting, attendees will have the opportunity to view the night sky using UTSA's telescopes including a 15-inch telescope and several 8-inch Cassegrain telescopes. Night viewing will be from the fourth floor patio of the Science Building, which is wheelchair accessible. If the sky is clear, attendees can expect to see Jupiter and Orion.

UTSA's monthly "Friday Nights, Celestial Lights" events began in 2009 as a celebration of the International Year of Astronomy, which commemorated the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei using a telescope to observe the heavens. Generally scheduled for the third Friday night each month, the series is sponsored by the UTSA Department of Physics and Astronomy.

Reservations to attend the March 25 astronomy event are not required. To learn more, contact Professor Eric Schlegel at 210-458-6425 or lecturer Mark Jurena at 210-458-4922.