Join the Evansville Museum for free star watch opportunities this fall.
The Evansville Museum of Arts, History and Science will conduct two public star watches during the months of September and October. Both of these admission-free events will provide individuals and families with an opportunity to view two visible planets and the Moon through telescopes. The September 11 and October 9 events will take place on the Schroeder Plaza, located at the entrance to the Museum at 7:30 PM and 7:00 PM CDT respectively.
According to Mitch Luman, Director of Science Experiences at the Museum, September and October provide an excellent opportunity to view Saturn and Jupiter, which both reached opposition with the Earth earlier this month. When planets are at opposition, they are closest to the Earth and appear the largest through telescopes.
According to Luman, by waiting several weeks after opposition, each planet will be higher overhead and readily observable after sunset. To the eye, Jupiter and Saturn currently appear as brighter than average stars above the eastern horizon. A First Quarter Moon will also be part of the show in the sky each evening during the events.
The star watches may be cancelled in the event of inclement weather.