MCCC Holds Community Observatory Session

Bring your family,
friends and clubs to explore the night sky and find the answers to these
questions and more during Montgomery County Community College’s free
community nights in its state-of-the-art Observatory and Observation
Deck.

The College will hold six community observatory sessions
in fall, winter and early spring on the following Mondays: Sept. 16,
8-10 p.m.; Oct. 7, 7-9 p.m.; Nov. 11, 7-9 p.m.; Feb. 3, 7-9 p.m.; March
17, 8-10 p.m.; and April 7, 8-10 p.m.

The Observatory is located on the third
floor of the College’s Advanced Technology Center, Central Campus, 1313
Morris Road, Blue Bell. Call the observatory hotline, 215-641-6460, an
hour before each event for information about cancelation due to weather
conditions.

The Observatory and Observation Deck are features
of the College’s 60,000 square-foot Advanced Technology Center. The
Observatory features a 16-inch MEADE Schmidt-Cassegrain research-level
telescope and a 90-mm Coronado telescope for safe observation of the
sun. All of the instruments are controllable both in the classroom as
well as in the Observatory itself. Through a fiber network, images can
be downloaded for further study and comparison and can be used in online
courses.

Community nights are free of charge and are open to
the public, and astronomy clubs and scout troops are welcome. Students
from the College’s Introduction to Astronomy course volunteer during the
event to share their knowledge and assist visitors with using the
telescope and viewing equipment.