Planets, moon to be in focus at Astronomy Open House

<p>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.&nbsp; 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.</p><separator></separator><p>“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 <a href="http://newcollege.asu.edu">New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences</a>. "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.</p><separator></separator><p>“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.</p><separator></separator><p>The event is free and open to the public. Visitor parking costs $2 per hour.</p><separator></separator><p>For more information, contact Schmidtke at <a href="mailto:paul.schmidtke@asu.edu">paul.schmidtke@asu.edu</a>.</p&gt;