Public Invited to View Night Sky through Austin College Observatory
Members of the local community soon will have the opportunity to see the wonders of the night sky, weather permitting. The public is invited to an Austin College Star Party on Thursday, February 18, to observe stars through Adams Observatory and other telescopes on the roof of the College’s IDEA Center. The event is free, and visitors may come and go from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. To help Austin College staff plan for the event, members of the community who wish to attend are asked to register/RSVP online at www.austincollege.edu/adams-observatory-events. Should weather conditions require cancellation of the event, that news will be posted on the Austin College website after3 p.m. on the day of the event.
The IDEA Center is located at 1108 E. Richards Street, and parking is available. Visitors should meet in the IDEA Center’s first-floor Page Atrium to begin their star tour. The largest research telescope in North Texas will open the night sky to viewers. Austin College students also will set up small telescopes to allow visitors to explore craters on the Moon, distant star clusters, and the beautiful Orion Nebula.
Dr. David Baker, chair of the Austin College Physics Department and director of Adams Observatory, will coordinate the event. “When someone looks through the telescope and sees some of these objects in space, there’s a real sense of amazement,” said Dr. Baker. “This is a unique opportunity to look through a telescope of this size and see things in outer space one wouldn’t normally be able to see.”
Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 36 percent of students representing ethnic minorities. A residential student body of 1,250 students and a faculty of more than 100 allow a 12:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. The College is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. Founded in 1849, the College is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.