Star Birth Observing Lab

The birth of stars is going on throughout the known universe. The Milky Way has any number of huge gas clouds – “stellar nurseries” – where star formation is actively underway. In this talk we will explore how stars begin their life cycles and how a star’s mass at birth determines almost everything about it, from its color and brightness to how long it will live and how it will likely die.

An Observing Lab is an opportunity to learn a bit about the astrophysics of stars and the interesting objects that result that are definitely within the reach of our telescopes at the Robert Ferguson Observatory. Come prepared to take your observing notes and dress warmly so you can take advantage of observing visually through the 8-inch refractor and the 40-inch reflector, as well as through the personal telescopes of our knowledgeable docents. Some of the best observing will be using the CCD camera on the 20-inch Ritchey Chretien reflector for the really deep deep sky objects. In addition to our stated date for this event, there will be a rain date in case poor weather doesn’t permit us to observe.

In case of poor weather:

• The alternate day for the Winter lab is scheduled for Saturday January 13th, also at 6 pm.
• The alternate day for the Summer lab is scheduled for Friday, June 7th, also at 8:30.

Please note: the maximum attendance for this lab is 15 people to ensure an optimal experience for registrants. Also note that the $10 state parking pass is included in the purchase price.

You MUST have a ticket to attend this event. Attendance is limited. Please note that tickets are non-refundable and cannot be used for future events. Overcast skies do not cancel the event. Unless you are notified otherwise by email, the event is not cancelled.