Lincoln (Neb.) - Sept. 14, 1998 - The University of Nebraska- Lincoln Student Observatory on the Stadium Parking Garage, 10th and T streets, will be open to the public from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Sept. 25.
There is no charge for the viewing and children are welcome. The public viewing will be a good opportunity for out-of-town visitors arriving early for the home football game the next day to check out the new telescope.
Viewing will start in twilight with a look at the spectacular craters of the crescent moon.
The main attraction of the evening will be the giant planet Jupiter and its four largest satellites. Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system. It's equatorial radius is 11 times that of the earth and it is 300 times more massive than the earth.
From the Student Observatory, the different climate zones and storm systems on Jupiter can be readily seen. Jupiter rotates more than twice as fast as the earth and this rotation can be obvious over a 15-minute period. The orbital motion of the largest satellites, each about the same size as our own moon, also can be detected in a similar period of time.
Smaller telescopes usually are set up on the roof outside the observatory. The observatory will be closed if the sky is totally clouded.
The Stadium Parking garage will be open for public parking until midnight.
For more information call Martin Gaskell, (402) 472-4788, or
visit (http://www.blackstarpress.com/arin/unl/stdobsv/) on the
World Wide Web.
Back to menu
For questions regarding these releases, contact:
tsimons@unlinfo.unl.ed
u
(402) 472-8514, Fax: (402) 472-7825