Lincoln (Neb.) - Oct. 29, 2001 - Saturn has returned in all its glory to the evening sky after a spring and summer absence. At a public night on Nov. 2, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Student Observatory will present its first views of Saturn of the season.
The observatory, located on top of the Stadium Parking Garage at 10th and T streets, will be open from 7 until 10 p.m. Saturn will be visible beginning about 8:15.
If the air is steady, the large Student Observatory telescope gives stunningly sharp views of this perennial celestial favorite. "One of the most common responses I get when people see Saturn in the telescope is that they think it is not real," said UNL astronomer Martin Gaskell. "They think it is some kind of fake image we've put in the telescope."
Saturn and the bright star Aldebaran are the two bright objects in Taurus. The full moon will be nearby to the upper right of them. Three other planets will be visible at the start of the evening: Mars, now getting left far behind by the earth, and the two outer giant planets of the solar system, Uranus and Neptune.
The observatory is unheated and fall nights are very chilly so visitors are advised to dress warmly. There is no charge for the public night and children of all ages are welcome. The observatory will not be open if the sky is totally cloudy.
The next public night will be Dec. 7. The observatory will also be
open on the afternoon of Dec. 14 for the solar eclipse. For more
information about the Student Observatory, contact Gaskell by phone,
(402) 472-4788, or e-mail (mgaskell1@unl.edu) or visit the observatory's
Web site (http://www.blackstarpress.com/arin/unl/stdobsv/).
For questions regarding these releases, contact:
tsimons1@unl.edu
(402) 472-8514, Fax: (402) 472-7825