We have a lot going on this semester.  First up, is that we now have a schedule for our observatory this semester.  We will be holding it in the Quad again until the final repair work is completed on our Thornton Hall observatory. 

There will be a lunar eclipse event coming up on the 20th of February.  Check back soon for more updates on this exciting event.

There are two new articles about us in the Golden Gate Xpress:

Observatory

Planet finders

During the summer, we hosted the first-ever video game launch from our planetarium.  Here's a short video of one of the interviews conducted in Thornton Hall:

video

Check out our interview with KWMR 90.5FM about the June Bootid meteor Shower. 

Quick Facts:

1. The June Bootid meteor shower is active each year from June 26th until July 2nd. It peaks on June 27th. Normally the shower is very weak ~5/hr.  Every once in a while it peaks at about 100/hr.
2. The shower lies in the constellation Bootes – follow the arm fo the big dipper and you’ll see a bright red star. 
3. The source of the June Bootids is periodic comet 7P/Pons-Winnecke. which orbits the Sun once every 6.37 years.  The comet last visited the inner solar system in 2002. When our planet passes through a dense spot in the debris stream, a meteor shower erupts.  Comet currently between Mars & Jupiter, will be between Mars & Earth next year.

Each time a periodic comet swings by the Sun, it produces large amounts of small particles, called meteoroids, which will eventually spread out along the entire orbit of the comet to form a meteoroid "stream".  When they burn up in our atmosphere they become meteors.

Next major meteor shower is the Perseids, in the constellation Perseus 8 – 14, peak 12th with a rate reaching up to 100/hr.

Story from the Golden Gate [X]PRESS