Eighth Annual AstroFest Open House Scheduled for 12 to 15 July

27 June 2006—A free festival of astronomy for all ages will be held concurrent with the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts from 8:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday, 13 July, through Saturday, 16 July, on the Penn State University Park campus. The seventh annual "AstroFest" is sponsored by the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics at Penn State.

There is plenty to do for adults and for families at AstroFest. In clear weather everyone can enjoy a view of the craters on the Moon, the moons of Jupiter, and other more distant wonders of the universe. The largest telescope on the Davey Laboratory roof has a 24-inch diameter, and a half-dozen smaller telescopes also are available for viewing. "There is nothing like seeing a planet with your own eyes," says George Trammell, a senior undergraduate student who has volunteered to be Rooftop Coordinator for this year's event.

Even if the weather is cloudy or rainy, there are a huge variety of indoor astronomy activities available. Kids attending the festival can launch their own rockets, fueled by antacid tablets; make their own aliens; drive a Mars rover; take a personal tour of the solar system; and much more. Children also can enjoy events designed for all ages, such as comet making, answering questions to win astronomy posters, and planetarium shows.

Adults and older youngsters can sample the hot topics in astronomy through short feature presentations. "Six different topics will be offered each evening, with a different program every night," says Jane Charlton, professor of astronomy and astrophysics and organizer of AstroFest. Examples of topics are black holes, the dark side of the universe, planets around other stars, and the Cassini satellite's recent results on Saturn and its moons.

Over the past several years, AstroFest has drawn anywhere from 100 to 800 people a night. "AstroFest is so popular because of the enthusiasm of more than sixty student, staff, and faculty volunteers," says Charlton. "They are so eager to share the excitement of exploring the universe with the public, and the Arts Festival is a perfect setting to reach a large and receptive audience," she adds.

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