Mercury, Mars, Saturn highlight Student Observatory public night

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Student Observatory will be open to the public from 6-10 p.m., Friday, Feb. 24, weather permitting, for viewing of the planets Mercury, Mars and Saturn.

This Friday's viewing is a rare chance to view Mercury, one of the most elusive of the planets. Although Mercury can appear brighter than most of the bright stars in the sky, it is almost always hidden in the glare of the sun, and most people have never knowingly seen it. In the telescope, Mercury will look like a tiny half moon. Visitors who want to have a good view of Mercury should come at 6 p.m.

Mars is visible high in the sky, but Earth has left it far behind in their orbits around the sun, and it has now shrunk to only a third of the apparent size it had during its close approach at the end of October. It will appear to be about the same size as Mercury.

The chief attraction of the evening will be the beautiful ringed planet Saturn. In the telescope, the rings, moons, and surface features of Saturn can be clearly seen. Saturn will be best viewed after 7 p.m.

There is no charge for admission to the observatory's public nights and children of all ages are particularly welcome. There will be astronomers on hand to answer questions.

The observatory is on the roof of the Stadium Drive Parking Garage, 10th and T streets. It is unheated, so visitors should dress appropriately.

The observatory will not be open if the sky is mostly cloudy. If in doubt about the weather, call the observatory at (402) 472-4728. For more information about the Student Observatory, contact the observatory coordinator, Martin Gaskell, at (402) 472-4788 or mgaskell1@unl.edu.

The next public viewing will be at 7 p.m., Friday, March 24.

CONTACT: Martin Gaskell, Research Assoc. Professor, Physics & Astronomy, (402) 472-4788 (mgaskell1@unl.edu)