Observatory open house to have eye on sky

In the winter, Orion the Hunter stretches across the sky with club and shield raised as he takes on Taurus the bull. Orion's faithful hunting dogs are his eternal companions in this constant battle.

You can witness this encounter for yourself Friday night at the College of Charleston's observatory, which will be open to the public.

The main 16-inch telescope under the dome will be pointed at an interesting object that night. There also will be three or four 8-inch telescopes on the observation deck pointing to planets, nebulas or other objects in the night sky.

Viking Project/USGS/NASA

Mars should be prominent in the night sky during an open house at the College of Charleston observatory Friday.

"We usually have downstairs set up for everyone to meet in Room 125, and the Society of Physics students usually have some hands-on activities going on throughout the first floor," says Chris True, astronomy lab manager. "So, there's something to do here even if it's overcast and we can't go out and see anything. But Mars is out very nicely, so hopefully people will get a chance to see that."

Terry Richardson, senior professor of astronomy at the college, says, "We'll have to wait 10 years to see Mars as big as it is now."

Visitors will get a chance to participate in lab experiments similar to those conducted by astronomy students at the college. There could be Web activities as well, and there will be opportunities to meet with departmental astronomers, who will be there to greet people, answer questions and talk about any objects of interest that people might want to view.

Provided that the weather is clear, True says, "We'll have a couple of our TAs (teaching assistants) or Society of Physics students leading people on tours upstairs into the observatory or onto the deck or both, depending on what they want to see."

In the past, local amateur astronomers and a number of families have come to the open houses to take a look through the telescopes and ask questions about the night sky.

"It's beautiful," True says. "Getting out to see the sky is a lot of fun and a nice little family event. You'll get to see things that maybe you've never seen before except in pictures and books, and now suddenly you're out on the roof seeing it for yourself through a telescope."

John Hakkila, professor and chairman of the college's physics and astronomy department, says, "Some of the brightest stuff in the sky is up during the winter. A substantial section of the Milky Way is up during the winter, and most of the bright stars tend to align with the plane of the Milky Way. Orion and a number of bright constellations are up. Galaxies are usually located a little farther and a little bit harder to see."

Richardson says one object people can watch for is the Winter Hexagon, which includes stars that are parts of six different constellations. Starting with the star Rigel, the constellations counterclockwise are Orion, Taurus, Auriga, Gemini, Canis Minor and Canis Major.

"All the Winter Hexagon centers around Betelgeuse in Orion's shoulder," explained Richardson. "I like to teach people the Winter Hexagon because it includes the bright stars and then the constellations that are associated with them. That's a good place to start."

Many of the stars and constellations can be seen through a telescope or a pair of binoculars at home throughout the year. However, light pollution throughout most of the Lowcountry can make it difficult to see the nighttime sky without a telescope. If you don't mind a road trip, True suggests stargazing in places away from the city, such as the Francis Marion National Forest, Johns Island or James Island.

Plan ahead if you're going out to have a gaze. Check the evening's weather forecast, but don't make things complicated, says True. "You can just stick your head out the window. That's really a great way to find out what the weather's really going to be."

Stargazing tips

If you want to stargaze on your own, here are some tips from the College of Charleston Astronomy Department:

-- Do not point a telescope low on the horizon because it's like pointing down a long hot road in summer. It produces a hazy view.

-- At midnight a lot of lights get turned off, and the sky can be a little darker. It's best to go to the beaches or Francis Marion National Forest, which has some dark spots for viewing.

-- Binoculars can be good for stargazing, and they don't have to be high-powered. You can see the Orion nebula, the Pleiades and the Hyades very nicely through binoculars.

-- If you take a flashlight with you to help light your path, cover the light with red cellophane, because your eyes will be adapted to the dark, and nothing's worse than someone shining a bright flashlight in your eyes.

-- There are several publications that will help you see where you want to look in the sky. You can get a star chart and/or sky, telescope and astronomy magazines at local bookstores. They'll help you figure out what to look for.