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Lunar Eclipse Viewing HighlightsWCSU Spring Observatory Program

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Lunar Eclipse Viewing Highlights

WCSU Spring Observatory Program

DANBURY — A special public viewing in early March of a total lunar eclipse and the debut of Science Building Observatory “star parties” will highlight the spring semester series of planetarium shows and telescope observation sessions at Western Connecticut State University’s westside and midtown campuses this semester.

The lunar eclipse will be featured in a viewing from 5:30 to 8 pm on Saturday, March 3, at the WCSU Observatory & Planetarium, on the university’s westside campus.

The viewing through the observatory’s 20-inch computer-controlled Ritchey-Chretien reflector telescope will be part of a four-month series on Thursday and Saturday evenings from January 27 through May 19 that will include 11 planetarium shows with observations, and five observation-only sessions at the westside campus site.

The series of hourlong shows at the westside campus planetarium will begin with the feature “Worlds with Rings” starting at 5 pm on Thursday, February 1, and Saturday, February 10, followed by “Intriguing Eclipses” at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 15, and Thursday, March 1.

Seasonal shows will include “Late Winter Skies” at 6 pm on Saturday, March 10, and 7 pm on Thursday, March 15, and “Stars of Spring” at 7 pm on Thursday, March 29, and 7:30 pm on Saturday, April 7, and Thursday, April 12.

The planetarium will conclude its spring semester series with the show “Realms of Galaxies” at 8 pm on Saturday, May 5, and Thursday, May 10.

Telescope viewings of the evening sky are scheduled immediately after all planetarium shows. In addition to the March 3 lunar eclipse viewing, observation-only sessions also will be offered at the WCSU Observatory from 5 to 8 pm on Saturday, January 27, and Saturday, February 24, and from 8 to 10:30 pm on Thursday, April 26, and Saturday, May 19.

Professor of Astronomy Dr Dennis Dawson, director of the WCSU Observatory & Planetarium, has planned the first-ever “star parties” for portable telescope viewings of the evening sky from 8 to 10 pm on April 4 and May 2 at the WCSU Science Building Observatory on the midtown campus, at the corner of Osborne Street at Dr James Roach Avenue. The spring semester series of Wednesday viewings at the Science Building’s rooftop observatory will also offer solar observations from 1 to 3 pm on March 7 and 28, April 25 and May 16. Daylight observations will be conducted with telescopes specially designed for safe viewing of sunspots, prominences and other aspects of the solar surface.

Dr Dawson noted the moon will share center stage in planetary observations this winter and spring with the ringed planet Saturn, which will reach its point of opposition to the Earth on February 10. A conjunction of Earth’s nearest neighbor Venus with the moon will be visible during the final viewing of the spring series on May 19.

Stellar highlights in the WCSU Observatory series will include the prominent winter-sky constellation Orion and the Big Dipper star Mizar. Dr Dawson said viewings also will focus on three vast star clusters — Pleiades, Praesepe and M13 — that have been studied by astronomers for centuries.

Public viewings at both the Science Building and Westside observatories will be subject to cancellation in the event of cloudy or inclement conditions. Planetarium shows will be held unless access roads become impassable due to snow or ice conditions.

Admission is free for all events; donations to support operations and maintenance of the planetarium and observatory will be accepted.

A complete listing of planetarium shows and observatory viewings for the current season is available at WCSU.edu/StarWatch. For more information, call the WCSU Observatory at 837-8672 or the Office of University Relations at 837-8486.

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