Trick or Treat Street Astronomy

The telescope will be set up on the Chapman St. side of the museum in the parking lot. Beginning at 6 p.m., we will view the Moon approaching the first quarter, which is when we see half of the illuminated part and half of the shadow part. The first quarter provides the best views of the Moon because the sunlight is coming from 90 degrees, creating the greatest contrast of the craters and mountains near the terminator (the line separating the light and dark sides). Shortly after 6 p.m., Saturn with its beautiful rings will be visible – a sight not to be missed! By 7 p.m., big bright Jupiter and its four moons will join the show, until about 9 p.m.

In addition to nature’s amazing display, you don’t want to miss meeting Tom Hoffelder, a retired aeronautical engineer and avid amateur astronomer for nearly 40 years, and Dr. Henning Haack, MMGM Research Associate and a geophysicist here all the way from Copenhagen, Denmark. Together, their knowledge of the sky outweighs all of the candy you could collect on Halloween. Swing by for a real treat.

Note: This stellar event is weather-dependent. If it’s too cloudy, the trick’s on us, and we’ll need to cancel. Let’s hope for clear skies.