Final night for star gazing approaching
Students who want an up close look at the stars have only eight days to do so.
Brooks Hall’s rooftop observatory will offer its final chance to view the stars at 8 p.m. April 6.
Though used mainly for observations by astronomy students, the Brooks Astronomical Observatory is set aside for public use the first Thursday night of every month throughout the school year.
This is the largest telescope in this part of Michigan, said Glen Williams, physics professor and observatory coordinator.
“This is a resource on campus that people should take advantage of at least once,” he said. “They (students) might not have an opportunity after they leave to look through one as big.”
The first Thursday of the month is the day closest to the quarter moon, making it easier to see craters in the moon, and because it is spring, viewers should be able to see Mars and Saturn in the early evening.
“Students can learn something about how astronomers do research, what a professional observatory would be like and find out how it works,” Williams said.
Students also can catch a glimpse of nebulae, which are brightly colored clouds of dust; double stars, which are two stars orbiting each other; galaxies and star clusters.
Williams said Mount Pleasant’s light pollution, which is an excess of light in the sky, makes it difficult for people to view the stars.
Brighton freshman Rachel Weingartz visited the observatory for the first time last semester.
“I was so intrigued by the stars and the atmosphere,” she said. “I’d recommend it to people – especially if you have an astronomy class.”
The observatory has been used for the collection of photoelectric and visual data relating to lunar activity and for photometric measures of stars, planets and comets.
There also is an outdoor observation platform for naked eye viewing outside the dome.
