St Andrews Observatory Open Night
Budding astronomers will be given the opportunity to view the night sky on Saturday (16 March 2019) when the University of St Andrews opens its Observatory to the public.
This year the observatory is celebrating its 80th anniversary. It was almost exactly 80 years ago in spring 1939 that the first telescopes were acquired and the first astronomer was hired.
Observatory director Aleks Scholz said: “If the sky is clear, visitors will be able to see the Milky Way overhead and look through telescopes at the distant planets Uranus and Neptune as well as gas clouds around young star-forming regions, star clusters of all ages, and distant galaxies.
“The half moon will be out, offering dramatic views of the craters.”
If the sky is too cloudy for direct observations, there will be plenty of other activities for visitors including a series of talks with topics related to exoplanets. The Twin Dome will be open with an interactive art exhibit.
Amongst the attractions on display will be The James Gregory Telescope – the largest telescope of its kind in the UK.
The Observatory will be open to the public from 6pm to 9pm.
Admission is free, everyone is welcome, especially families with children of all ages.
The Observatory is located just off Buchanan Gardens, St Andrews, in the University’s sports fields.
More information can be found on the Observatory website.
Issued by the University of St Andrews Communications Office.