Spring 2010
Fridays in March at 7:00 PM.
Rainwater Observatory, French Camp, Miss.
Backyard Astronomy is an informal series of sessions in Astronomy for the public. Each program contains a brief talk followed by planetarium shows or observing sessions.
Knowledgeable speakers will guide us through our solar system, as well as present an introduction to the constellations and their lore. Each session will be about an hour long and will feature the stories behind such sky objects as the Moon, the planets, the season’s constellations, and galaxies.
After the talks, weather permitting, an observing session will be held using Rainwater’s collection of telescopes including the largest in Mississippi. If the weather is cloudy, we’ll use the planetarium for our sky orientation.
Rainwater Observatory and Planetarium is located 1 mile east of the Natchez Trace Parkway on MS Hwy 413 near the village of French Camp in central Mississippi.
Program titles and speakers are subject to change.
March 5: Stories of the Moon
Jim Hill will share some of the stories from different cultures about our Moon.
March 12: Leo the Lion and Other Constellations of Spring
David Teske will share with us the stories of the spring star patterns. Learn about Leo the Lion and how to find it in the sky. Learn how to find other star patterns such as the two bears and the bear chaser.
March 19: Welcome the Spring
Tim Rich tells us what it means
to be at an equinox. Not only does the Earth have season, but the other planets have them as well.March 26: Saturn Sheds Its Light
Edwin Faughn will give us some stunning views of the ringed planet before we go outside to observe it through the observatory telescopes.
If this sounds interesting to you, sign up today. Admission is FREE but donations are appreciated.
For more information about this program or other activities of Rainwater Observatory, call (662) 547-6377 or visit http://www.rainwaterobservatory.org.
A map of how to get to Rainwater is on our web site.
Pre-registration is helpful for planning but come at the last minute if you can. If you plan to bring a group, please pre-register below or by phone.
Backyard Astronomy is funded by a grant from and is sponsored by the Mississippi NASA Space Grant Consortium and by the Rainwater Astronomical Association.
To find out how you can bring "Backyard Astronomy" to your community... Backyard Astronomy for Mississippi: Coordinators and Presenters Information.