CONTACT: Lisa Lacher,
515-271-3119, lisa.lacher@drake.edu
The twinkling lights in the night
sky will be the focus of the spring series of Friday evening public presentations
at the Drake Municipal Observatory.
The free series will begin with a
presentation on the energy we receive from the stars and how astronomers learn
from it at 8 p.m. Friday, March 21, at the observatory in Waveland Park on the
west side of Des Moines.
Each week there will be a
non-technical, illustrated presentation on an astronomical topic by Charles
Nelson or Herbert Schwartz of Drake’s Department of Physics and Astronomy. The
presentation will be followed by the opportunity to view several stellar
objects through the large refracting telescope and several smaller reflecting
telescopes.
The program will be held
regardless of the weather, although the selection for observation is subject to
change due to sky conditions or other special circumstances.
Individuals, families and small
groups are welcome to attend the presentations, which begin at 8 p.m. each
Friday from March 21 through May 9. A parent or responsible adult must
accompany children.
The schedule for the fall series
is listed below:
- March
21: “How Do We Know.” - March
28: “A Star is Born.” - April
4: “Classifying Stars.” - April
11: “Stars That Are Not Stable.” - April
18: “Gravity Is The Key.” - April
25: “Very Weird Stars.” - May
2: “Stars That Are Not Alone.” - May
9: “The Future of Stars.”
For more information, contact
Drake’s Department of Physics and Astronomy at 515-271-3141.