Public Events at the ONU Observatory |
Spring 2024 Schedule -- ONU Observatory
Maps to the ONU Observatory can be found
here.
Friday, Feb 9, 8:00-10:00 pm. -- Public Event.
"The Winter Milky Way"
Descriptions of each event will appear in the week leading up to the event.
ONU and the surrounding communities are invited to the ONU Observatory
this Friday for a stargazing event called "The Winter Milky Way".
The Milky Way is our home Galaxy. It appears as a swath of light that wraps
around the sky. In the summer, the Milky Way runs through constellations like
Cygnus (the Swan), while in the winter, it runs
through Gemini and Canis Major (the great dog) next to Orion.
In February, this "Winter Milky Way" is crossing the meridian around 9:30 pm,
making it a good time to explore its treasures with a telescope. These include
Hubble's Variable Nebula, the Seagull Nebula, and several star clusters. We can
also look at the planets Uranus and Jupiter under the moonless sky.
This event was a success.
Friday, Feb 16, 8:00-10:00 pm. -- Public Event. "Moon passing through the Pleiades "
ONU and the surrounding communities are invited to the ONU Observatory
this Friday for an astronomy event called "Moon passes through the Pleiades".
The Moon moves through the constellations of the zodiac as it orbits
the Earth and it sometimes passes in front of some interesting stars, or,
even better, star clusters. This increases the chance of grazing
occultations, when stars blink off and on as they are blocked by the Moon's
irregular terrain. The Moon will have already passed the Pleiades by 8 pm
(closest passage around 2:30 pm), so we will mostly use this as an opportunity
to get a close-up look at the craters and maria of the first quarter Moon.
Other convenient targets will be Jupiter, Uranus, the Pleiades, and
stars of the winter Milky Way.
Friday, Mar 8, 7:30-9:30 pm. -- Public Event. "Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks"
ONU and the surrounding communities are invited to the ONU Observatory
this Friday for an astronomy event called "Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks".
Comet Pons-Brooks is currently the brightest comet in the sky, but still
too faint to see without a telescope. Comets are icy fragments usually
2-10 km across which give off gas and dust when they get close to the Sun.
This comet comes in close to the Sun, as it is now, once every 70 years.
We start earlier than usual, 7:30 pm, because the comet will be low in the
northwest and will be too low to observe by about 8:30 pm. But don't despair,
there are other objects for us to observe like the planet Jupiter.
Friday, Mar 22, 8:00-10:00 pm. -- Public Event. "Mercury at dichotomy"
This Friday's public event is called "Mercury at dichotomy". On this day,
Mercury will appear half lit by the Sun, displaying a phase much like the 1st quarter Moon. Since Mercury's orbit is an ellipse and not a circle, the moment of dichotomy can differ from the moment of it's greatest elongation from the Sun. The Greatest Elongation East occurs a few days later on Mar 24 this year. Mercury will be almost 19 degrees from the Sun on both occasions, making it a good time to go after this elusive planet.
Mercury will get too low to observe by about 8:30 pm, so our telescopes will slew to other targets in the Western sky. These include Jupiter and Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks. We were clouded out during the last event which went after the comet, but now it should be brighter and more well-placed for observing. It should have a long tail and be visible in binoculars 23 degrees northwest of Jupiter. Friday, Apr 5, 9:00-11:00 pm. -- Public Event. "Galaxies of Spring"
April is a good month to look for galaxies in the Ohio skies!
The chance of cloudcover is going down and the temperatures are going up.
More importantly, the North Galactic Pole is well placed in the sky before
midnight. This is where many of the nearby galaxies are located, residing
in the Virgo Cluster and various other groups. On this night, with the
Moon just past new, we will point our telescopes at galaxies. They are
generally faint, so we may also use sensitive cameras to display
them. The Lyrid meteor shower is also producing occasional meteors.
This event is cancelled.
We have many cameras and telescopes carefully setup for the
total solar eclipse streaming on Monday. The cables and portable
telescopes represent a trip hazard so it is best to not hold
a nighttime event this April 5.
Monday, Apr 8, 2:00-4:00 pm. -- Streamed Event. "Total Solar Eclipse!"
Totality of the April 8th solar eclipse can (and should) be viewed outside
with your naked eye. But in the hours of partial eclipse before and after
totality, you must use protective eclipse glasses or suffer eye damage.
Typical eclipse glasses offer no magnification and you can only perceive
the largest of sunspots. That's why you should
follow the ONU YouTube livestreaming event from the ONU Observatory. We will
show images from not just one but three different telescope/cameras set ups.
We will also provide play-by-play and NASA graphics showing the progress of
the umbra across the US.
Update: current forecast predicts 55-60% cloudcover and 15% chance of rain
for Ada on eclipse day. The streaming event will still be held even if the
skies are cloudy.
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Fall 2023 Schedule -- ONU Observatory
Maps to the ONU Observatory can be found
here.
Sunday, Aug 20, 8:30-9:30 pm. -- ONU Event. "Welcomefest Meet-n-greet" Descriptions of each event will appear in the week leading up to the event. Friday, Sept 8, 8:30-10:30 pm. -- Public Event. "Saturn puts on a show" Friday, Sept 22, 8:30-10:30 pm. -- Public Event. "The Autumnal Equinox" Friday, Oct 13, 8:00-10:00 pm. -- Public Event. "Eclipse Eve Viewing" Saturday, Oct 14, 12:30-1:30 pm. -- STREAMED Event. "Annular Solar Eclipse" Friday, Nov 3, 8:00-10:00 pm. -- Public Event. "Jupiter at its closest" Friday, Nov 17, 8:00-10:00 pm. -- Public Event. "Leonid Meteor Shower" Printer-friendly version here. |
Spring 2023 Schedule -- ONU ObservatoryFriday, Feb 3, 8:00-10:00 pm. -- Public Event. "Comet ZTF close to Earth" Friday, Feb 24, 8:00-10:00 pm. -- Public Event. "Explore the waxing crescent Moon" Friday, Mar 24, 8:30-10:30 pm. -- Public Event. "Spring Star Party!" Friday, Apr 7, 9:00-11:00 pm. -- Public Event. "Mercury at Greatest Elongation" Friday, Apr 21, 9:00-11:00 pm. -- Public Event. "Galaxies of Spring" Printer-friendly version here. |
Fall 2022 Schedule -- ONU ObservatorySunday, Aug 21, 8:30-9:30 pm -- ONU event. "Welcomefest Open House" Friday, Sept 16, 9:00-11:00 pm -- Public Event "Neptune at its closest" Friday, Sept 23, 8:00-10:00 pm -- Public Event. "Autumnal Equinox and Jupiter approaching opposition" Friday, Oct 21, 8:00-10:00 pm. -- Public Event. "Orionid Meteor Shower" Friday, Oct 28, 8:00-10:00 pm. - Public Event. "Observe the crescent Moon" Friday, Nov 11, 8:00-10:00 pm. -- Public Event. "Uranus at Opposition" Friday, Dec 9, 8:00-10:00 pm. -- Public Event. "Opposition of Mars" Printer-friendly version here. |
Arrange a tour or visit?We encourage your K-12 students and other organizations to visit during the Public Events listed above. However, you may be able to schedule a special visit. We can comfortably fit about 60 people in the observing room. Bigger groups can still attend. During the daytime, we will show you the building and telescopes and, if clear, can view the Sun! We don't roll back the roof if there is precipitation. If interested, contact the Observatory Manager:Dr. Jason Pinkney ONU Dept of Physics and Astronomy 525 S. Main St., Ada, OH, 45810 j-pinkney@onu.edu Office: 419-772-2740 Observatory: 419-772-4028 See maps to the ONU Observatory. Check the weather at ONU Observatory: Clear Sky Chart. See the Observatory's Astrophoto gallery. |