A comet is soaring through the sky and residents will be able to see it tonight at the West Georgia Observatory on the UWG campus.
Don't miss a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to view the Comet Lulin.
The West Georgia Observatory will open for public viewing of Comet Lulin on Monday, February 23, from 9:30 to 10:30 p.m.
The comet will be 38 million miles from Earth, the closest it will ever get, and should also be visible through binoculars and in dark unlit areas by the naked eye.
Quanzhi Ye, a 19-year-old meteorology student in Mainland China, discovered Comet Lulin on images taken with a 16-inch telescope at Lulin Observatory at National Central University in Taiwan in 2007.
Public observations are held monthly and for special viewings if the sky is clear. Groups or organizations may request special observations conducted by professor and chair of the Department of Physics, Dr. Bob Powell.
In addition to the public viewing on Monday, the observatory will be open each month through May. A complete schedule can be seen at http://www.westga.edu/~physics/observatory.html.
The WG Observatory is located on Plant Op Drive off West Georgia Drive. For more information, call 678-839-4095 or send a note to bpowell@westga.edu.
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Monday, February 23, 2009
Comet Lulin to Make Rare Appearance
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
University of Georgia Observatory Sets Schedule for Viewing the Planets and Stars in the Coming Months
The 24-inch telescope at the University of Georgia will be open for public viewing once a month beginning Friday, Jan. 16, at 7 p.m. If it is cloudy, there will be a talk on "Astronomical Hoaxes in the Internet Age."
The observatory is on top of the physics building on UGA's South Campus and has been having public nights for a number of years since the telescope was rebuilt in the 1990s. It was also repaired twice in 2008. If the nights are clear, those attending will be able to look through the telescope at the stars. If it's cloudy, there will be a brief talk on astronomy that is of current interest.
The open houses for the rest of this academic year are:
* Friday, Feb. 20, at 7:30 p.m.
* Friday, March 20, at 8 p.m.
* Friday, April 17, at 9 p.m.
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