The University of Toledo Ritter Planetarium and the Toledo Astronomical Association will celebrate Astronomy Day Saturday, April 28, with a series of free, public shows on Main Campus.

“Astronomy Day is an effort by amateur and professional astronomers to reach out to as many people as possible to share information about the wonders of the universe around us,” said Dr. Michael Cushing, UT assistant professor of astronomy and director of Ritter Planetarium.

Free shows at 1, 3 and 5 p.m. will explore different aspects of the vast space beyond Earth’s atmosphere:

• 1 p.m. — Planetarium children’s program, “Zula Patrol: The Weather Down Under,” and a presentation titled “From Disks to Exoplanets: A New Role for Ritter Observatory” by Dr. Karen Bjorkman, dean of the UT College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.

• 3 p.m. — Planetarium program, “Two Small Pieces of Glass,” and talk called “Cloudy With a 30 Percent Chance of Stars” by Dr. Tom Megeath, UT associate professor of astronomy.

• 5 p.m. — Planetarium program, “Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity,” and a presentation titled “A Separate Light — New Views of Galaxies Near and Far” by Dr. J.D. Smith, UT assistant professor of astronomy.

Meanwhile, the Toledo Astronomical Association will have telescopes on hand outside the planetarium for solar and astronomical viewing by the public, weather permitting.

For more information about the Toledo Astronomical Association and its Astronomy Day efforts, contact Frank Merritt at frank.merritt@utoledo.edu.

Media Coverage
The Blade (April 25, 2012)
The Blade (April 25, 2012)
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The Blade (April 26, 2012)

Tags: College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics