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Star Parties!
Jewett Observatory is our direct window on the heavens.
In spring, summer, and fall, we hold public star parties, where
any interested person can come to view the cosmos through
the historic 12-inch Clark.
2013 open nights are listed here. Events are canceled in the case of cloudy or inclement weather.
- Saturday, April 20, 2013, 8:30 p.m. start
- Saturday, May 18, 2013, 9:00 p.m., or maybe 8:30 p.m. start Saturn! And Jupiter and Venus before they set. (And check out the dances with Mercury in the night sky over the next couple of weeks.
- Saturday, June 15, 2013, 9:30 p.m. start Saturn
- Saturday, July 13, 2013, 9:30 p.m. start Saturn
- Saturday, Aug 17, 2013, 9:00 p.m. start Saturn
- Saturday, Aug 31, 2013, 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Live Jazz Music and BBQ dinner with the Palouse Astronomical Society, $7 food donation suggested, then, 9:00 and on, stargazing - Saturn is still in the sky
- Saturday, Sept 14, 2013, 9:00 p.m. start Saturn sets early
- Saturday, October 12, 2013, 8:30 p.m. start Jupiter rises around 11:00 p.m.
Planet-watching highlights are in blue, but
most public evenings also feature a crescent moon, star clusters,
nebulae, double stars, and other surprises.
All are welcome! Please dress warmly, even in summer. Clouds render
all astronomical objects invisible, so don't come if you can't see any
stars out. All events cosponsored by the
Palouse Astronomical Society.
More about the observatory. | Directions to the observatory. |
Mars Event.
The James Richard Jewett Observatory
boasts the second-largest refracting telescope in the state of Washington; a
grand 12-inch Alvin Clark & Sons, with the original lens polished in
1887-1889 by the same optician that fabricated the world's largest (40-inch) lens at Yerkes Observatory. The present dome and support building were designed in 1950 and dedicated in
1953. The philanthopy of Mr. and Mrs. George Jewett of Spokane made the project possible, and it was named after George's father, a professor of Arabic at Harvard, and a "friend of astronomy for many years."
The observatory is used primarily for student "laboratories" and also
contains 10 portable telescopes for hands-on education.
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, 509-335-4994 |