National Stargazing Days 2017
| When: | Fr 03-03-2017 18:00 - 23:00 |
| Where: | Blaauw Observatory, Nijenborgh 9 Groningen (Bernoulliborg, Zernike Campus) |
On Friday, March 3 and Saturday, March 4, the Blaauw Observatory of the Kapteyn Astronomical Institute (Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen) will be open for young and old during the 41th National Stargazing Days. Everyone is welcome to have a look through a telescope and to learn more about our planet Earth, planets around other stars, and the Universe.
Program
The observatory will be open on both days from 18:00 - 23:00. Visitors are invited for stargazing through several telescopes in the Blaauw Observatory (if weather permits). Some objects to observe will be the Moon, planets Mars and Venus, star clusters and interstellar nebulae. Even if the weather is not cooperating, the observatory can be visited for a guided tour. In this case beautiful images of the universe made with the Gratama Telescope of the Blaauw Observatory are shown.
There are also various indoor activities for young and old. This is the program for both days:
- Guided tours Blaauw Observatory: introduction + observatory + observing terrace (English tours at 20:30 and 21:30)
- Observing terrace with 3-4 telescopes, start every half hour
- Shows in Kapteyn mobile planetarium (English shows at 19:30 and 20:30)
- 19:00 Children's lecture Jeffrey Bout: Op reis naar Mars (in Dutch, for children 6 to 12 years old)
- 20:00 Lecture prof. dr. Inga Kamp (Kapteyn Instituut, RUG): Het ontstaan van de Aarde (in Dutch)
- 21:00 Workshop: Stars on your smartphone
- Children's program 18:00 - 21:00 (6 to 12 years old): Game The Cosmic Spiral
- Exhibit Science LinX
More information and reservations: www.rug.nl/sterrenwacht
Sign up
This public night will take place in the Bernoulliborg on the Zernike Campus (Nijenborgh 9, Groningen). The observatory will be open on Friday, March 3 and Saturday, March 4, from 18:00 to 23:00. Admission is free for all activities.
You can reserve a ticket for a guided tour or planetarium show via www.rug.nl/sterrenwacht. You can also join the Facebook event for the latest news. For questions about this event you can refer to sterrenwacht(at)astro(punt)rug(punt)nl.
Organization
This event is organized by the Kapteyn Astronomical Institute of the University of Groningen and SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research, in cooperation with the Royal Netherlands Association for Meteorology and Astronomy (KNVWS), the Dutch Youth Association for Astronomy (JWG) and Science LinX.