The Sky this Month (October)

Show times: 7 PM on Tuesday, 9/30, and 4:00 PM on Sunday, 10/5. The shows, as always, are free and open to the public, and they run about 50 minutes.

Top on the agenda this month will be the total eclipse of the moon that will be visible here in the early morning hours of October 8. There will also be a partial eclipse of the sun later in the month. Technically, it's also visible locally though only by the barest of margins. The moon will begin to take a tiny bite out of the sun just about a half hour before sunset. Locations west of us will see the eclipse for longer, with the western half of the US seeing the whole show. In some locations that will mean more than half of the sun being obscured by the moon.

**Never look at the sun without proper precautions.**

Stargazing at Strawberry Hill Nature Preserve

Gettysburg College planetarium director Ian Clarke will be leading a night hike and stargazing session at Strawberry Hill preserve near Fairfield Wednesday night. The event is weather permitting, but the forecast is good at this point. (Note - this is a Strawberry Hill event; see details below). Wednesday, September 24 — 8:00 pm, meet at the nature center Explore the science and the stories of the September night sky with Strawberry Hill Naturalist and local planetarium director Ian Clarke. Pack a flashlight for the hike to our viewing location – but once we get there it will be lights out, so our eyes can adapt to the relative darkness of a moonless night on the Preserve.  Ian will guide you on a tour of the stars and planets. This month, that will include a swan, a harp, a dragon, and the Milky Way. Dress in layers. You may find it warm as you hike, but chilly when you’re standing still at the stargazing site. The talk will be aimed at people using their unaided eyes, but feel free to bring binoculars. Due to the hike, however, you should leave telescopes at home. $5 members / $8 non-members; pre-registration preferred. 642-5840 www.strawberryhill.org

Late September Astrominute

The Hatter Planetarium/WZBT astrominute for late September is now online and on the air.

http://public.gettysburg.edu/~iclarke/hatter/podcasts/astrominute091514.mp3

Space Place

Sponsorship message that runs under the NASA content.

We are proud to sponsor NASA's "Space Place" in the Gettysburg Times this school year. Check it out in today'
s paper.

August stargazing at Strawberry Hill

Night hike and August stars! It may not be on the website, but there IS public stargazing at Strawberry Hill Nature Preserve scheduled for this Wed, 8/20 at 9:00 PM. Meet at the nature center. Subject to the reality of the weather and potential postponement, as always. Not free, but inexpensive and for a good organization. Description: 
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Explore the science and the stories of the August night sky with Strawberry Hill Naturalist and local planetarium director Ian Clarke. Pack a flashlight for the hike to our viewing location. But once we get there it will be lights out, so our eyes can adapt to the the relative darkness of a moonless night on the Preserve. Then Ian will guide you on a tour of the stars and planets you see. This month, that will include a special star group known as the “Summer Triangle.”

Dress in layers. You may find it warm as you hike, but chilly when you’re standing still at the stargazing site. The talk will be aimed at people using only their unaided eyes, but feel free to bring binoculars if you wish. Due to the hike, however, you should leave telescopes at home.

Please preregister [totally optional] at (717) 642-5840. $5 members / $8 non-members.

Fall 2014 Sky this Month Schedule

[Update: Google calendar corrected for the October Sunday show. Now reads 10/5 at 4:00 PM. It had an incorrect date in the Google calendar only. - IC 8/27/14]

Greetings! Our Fall '14 Sky this Month schedule is set. One Sunday at 4PM, Tue at 7PM for each month, just as it was last spring. Please note that some of the shows (e.g., the Sept 30 show for October) actually take place at the end of the month before their subject month. All of these shows continue to be free and open to the public in our 10-meter planetarium on the lovely Gettysburg College campus. See our web site for directions and more details.

The schedule is below, with links to other formats following.

Hatter Planetarium
“Sky this Month” Shows Fall 2014

September Skies

·        Sunday, August 31, 4:00 PM

·        Tuesday, September 2, 7:00 PM

October Skies

·        Tuesday, September 30, 7:00 PM

·        Sunday, October 5, 4:00 PM

November Skies

·        Sunday, November 2, 4:00 PM

·        Tuesday, November 4, 7:00 PM

December Skies

·        Sunday, November 30, 4:00 PM

·        Tuesday, December 2, 7:00 PM

PDF: http://public.gettysburg.edu/~iclarke/hatter/HatterPlanetariumsched.pdf

Google Calendar: https://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=l2fvm74i462705hsq0f22d1vdg%40group.calendar.google.com&ctz=America/New_York

Public Stargazing at Strawberry Hill, Take 2

We're going for it again in July 23 at 9:30 PM! Description and links are below. Note that this is a Strawberry Hill, not Gettysburg College, program, and it is not free. 

Here is a photo from the site (the Summer Triangle rising over the trees around 10 PM). Very good skies for Adams County.

There are a few more at this link: http://goo.gl/ueIiVH
Stargazing at Strawberry Hill
July 23, 9:30pm
Explore the science and the stories of the July night sky with Strawberry Hill Naturalist and local planetarium director Ian Clarke. Pack a flashlight for the hike to our viewing location. But once we get there it will be lights out, so our eyes can adapt to the the relative darkness of a moonless night on the Preserve. Then Ian will guide you on a tour of the stars and planets you see. This month, that will include a special star group known as the “Summer Triangle.”

Dress in layers. You may find it warm as you hike, but chilly when you’re standing still at the stargazing site. The talk will be aimed at people using only their unaided eyes, but feel free to bring binoculars if you wish. Due to the hike, however, you should leave telescopes at home.

Please preregister at (717) 642-5840. $5 members / $8 non-members

Strawberry Hill web site: www.strawberryhill.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StrawberryHillNaturePreserve