The Open House Night in Astronomy scheduled for the annual opposition of Jupiter has a new date: Wednesday, Sept. 22.
Darren Williams, associate professor of physics and astronomy at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, will give a lecture on the opposition beginning at 8 p.m. in 101 Otto Behrend Science Building, at Penn State Behrend, followed by astronomical observing from Mehalso Observatory from 9 to 10:30 p.m., weather permitting.
Oppositions of Jupiter -- when Earth laps Jupiter in its orbit around the sun -- occur approximately once a year. “This is also the time when Jupiter is nearest the Earth and appears the brightest to observers,” Williams said. “Jupiter is spectacular at any time of year, but opposition accentuates the detail that can be seen through a telescope. We can expect to see the familiar bands in the planet’s atmosphere, as well as the four bright moons that Galileo Galilei sketched more than 400 years ago.”
Both the lecture and observing are free and open to the public. Open House Nights in Astronomy are an outreach service of the School of Science and intended for a nontechnical audience ages 8 and older. For additional information, phone 814-898-6105.