Planets, moon to be in focus at Astronomy Open House

A tradition at ASU’s West campus continues April 22, as the spring semester’s Astronomy Open House event takes place from 7 to 9 p.m.  Telescopes will be set up on the bike path west of the soccer field and near the Central Plant building on the campus at 4701 W. Thunderbird Road in Phoenix.

“The timing of this semester’s event is good for viewing the moon, Mars and Saturn," said Paul Schmidtke, senior lecturer in astronomy with ASU’s New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences. "Those who arrive early will get a chance to see Venus as well. We’ll also observe star clusters, nebulae and other objects in the springtime sky.

“The Astronomy Open House is fun for the whole family. For many participants, it’s the first opportunity they’ve ever had to see the night sky through a telescope,” Schmidtke said.

The event is free and open to the public. Visitor parking costs $2 per hour.

For more information, contact Schmidtke at paul.schmidtke@asu.edu.