The College is opening its observatory Wednesday evening to allow the community to view five planets – Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Uranus – in the night sky.
Five planets in the night sky will align this week, and Guilford College is inviting the community to its campus observatory Wednesday, March 29, to view the spectacle. Just don’t be late.
The alignment of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Uranus will be visible starting early Tuesday and mostly continue through Friday, according to Don Smith, Professors in Physics.
Donald J. Cline Observatory in the Frank Family Science Center will be open to the public Wednesday at 8 pm.
Don says the phenomenon can be seen as there are clear skies and a view of the west. He says Venus will be the easiest planet to see, being the brightest of the bunch. If you want to see Uranus, says Don, you’ll need a telescope.
The Sun will set at 7:36 pm on Wednesday. Jupiter will set at 8:20 pm. That leaves a small window of time to catch a glimpse, says Don. “Our goal is to have the doors open by 8 pm, perhaps a little earlier,” he says. “It will be a race to see if the sky gets dark enough to see Jupiter before it sets.”
The College hopes to have at least two 8-inch telescopes set up, along with the 16-inch telescope pointed at Uranus. There will be no time for a lecture or presentation, says Don, just the rooftop viewing.
Entrance will be from the South doors, and visitors can come up the stairs. Parking is available in the lot adjoining the science center.