Stargazing and Astronomy Activities at the Ninth Annual Astrofest Scheduled for 11 to 14 July

2 July 2007—A free festival of astronomy will be held concurrent with the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, from Wednesday, 11 July, through Saturday, 14 July 2007, from 8:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. each evening at Davey Laboratory on the Penn State University Park campus. The ninth annual "AstroFest" is sponsored by the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics at Penn State.

"AstroFest was conceived by several students in the department as a way to share astronomy with the public," says Nahks Tr'Ehnl, an alumnus who has returned to help with this year's event. More than 60 faculty, students, and staff of the department helped to entertain more than 2,200 visitors to last year's Astrofest.

AstroFest allows people of all ages to explore astronomy. For children there are special activities, tours of the solar system, opportunities to drive a Mars rover, planetarium shows, interactive demonstrations such as making your own comet, and more. "This year we are introducing a 'passport' for kids to complete in order to win small astronomy-themed toys or posters," says Jane Charlton, professor of astronomy and astrophysics and the organizer of AstroFest.

AstroFest is certainly not just for kids. In addition to the 3-D tours of Mars and the universe, six different presentations will be offered throughout each night on a variety of subjects including extrasolar planets, the status of Pluto, the weird properties of black holes, and astronomical disasters. "The program is different each night, so many people return more than once," notes Charlton.

If the sky is clear, visitors also will be treated to views of a number of astronomical objects through telescopes at the Davey Lab rooftop observatory. Saturn's rings, Jupiter and its moons, a cluster of millions of stars, and an exploding star will be featured in this year’s stargazing program.

"The proximity of Davey Lab to the Arts Festival makes it convenient for people to stop by in the evening to see what is happening at the AstroFest," says Charlton. "Although AstroFest has much to offer even if skies are cloudy, we are hoping for clear skies and for a record-breaking attendance for this year’s AstroFest."

For more information, contact the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics weekdays, between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., at (814) 865-0418.

[ J C / K D ]