ever looked thru a telescope?

i just looked at my calendar to figure out what the date is for next friday, when i realized i was looking at the wrong *year*!! i managed to move the calendar from my old office, which was set at august 2006 when i left austin, all the way to my new office and onto the wall above my desk before realizing today that the year was wrong! oops. now i feel silly, and i dont have a 2007 calendar!

anyway, i was looking up the date for next friday because it's the first night that i will be operating the 9-inch telescope on the campus of the university of texas at austin! this fall, starting next friday, sept 7, i will be conducting public viewing nights on top of painter hall (map)... just next to UT's tower.



every friday and saturday night from 7 to 9 pm (weather permitting), i'll be opening the dome of the ~70 year old telescope to show folks mountains on the moon, jupiter and its moons, the andromeda galaxy, nebulae, star clusters, and anything else that seems interesting in the fall sky!

i'm very excited about this opportunity because i feel a sense of awe every single time i look at a planet through a telescope and i like talking to people about astronomy. i can't wait to show my friends and strangers the wonders of the universe thru the eye of a telescope that uses absolutely no electricity when it tracks objects across the sky!

this event is absolutely FREE for anyone of any age! you can call 512-232-4265 as the sun sets to see if the weather is good enough for viewing. if there is rain or snow, super strong winds or more than half the sky is covered with clouds, the night's viewing will be cancelled. also, if there is a UT football game on saturday that starts after 6pm, the viewing will be cancelled.

otherwise.... come up, say hi and see the night sky!