Fall 2010
SAturdays in October 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.
October 2: Introducing the Fall Constellations
David Teske will share about the stories of the fall star patterns and how to find them in the heavens. Featured will be the tale of the hero Perseus and his rescue of the princess Andromeda.
October 9: Archaeoastronomy of the American Southwest
Jim Hill spent the summer out west and has some amazing tales about the astronomical knowledge of the native Americans who lived in the four corners region a thousand years ago.
October 16: Jupiter: Giant of the Solar System
Edwin Faughn will tell us about the giant planet that is in the fall sky and that outweighs by three times all the other planets in the solar system. Learn how to find Jupiter in the sky and see some neat images of the king of planets.
October 23: Death from the Skies
Dave Teske returns to wrap up the series with a look at some alarming possible dangers to our planet from the sky. What are the chances of an asteroid or solar eruption causing destruction on the Earth.
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.