UPDATED: Viewing on Sunday, February 9

Updated February 11, 2014

After clouds moved in at the last minute on Saturday evening, we had to cancel and push the viewing ahead to the next day, Sunday, February 9.  That evening fortunately proved to be a clear, albeit quite chilly, but we had 12 hardy guests brave the elements to attend. Our RASC volunteers discussed astronomy topics with the guests and answered questions while they kept warm and awaited their turn to go up to the telescope.

The objects observed were the waxing gibbous Moon – in particular, some of the craters in its southern hemisphere – and Jupiter.  Despite atmospheric conditions not being at their best, we were able to see the two large brown bands near Jupiter’s equator and three of its four Galilean moons. A simulated view of what we saw is shown below (using Stellarium), although we could not make out quite that level of detail (we weren’t able to discern the Great Red Spot or smaller bands, for example)

JupiterFeb9

Public viewings are co-hosted by the UPEI Physics Department and the Charlottetown Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC).

Cancelled: January 11/12 viewing

Updated 6:08 PM January 12

Due to overcast skies, the “cloud-date” viewing scheduled for Sunday, January 12 from 7:00 – 9:00 pm is being cancelled.  This viewing was scheduled after the Saturday, January 11 viewing also had to be cancelled due to weather.

Our next regularly scheduled viewing is Saturday, February 8 from 7:00 – 9:00 pm with an alternate date of February 9 in the event of poor weather conditions.

Everyone is welcome to attend public viewings.  To do so, meet in Memorial Hall in room 417 and you will be guided up to the observatory when it is available.  It is necessary to climb the stairs one floor up to the observatory, however the elevator can be taken up to the 4th floor before doing so.

Public viewings are co-hosted by the UPEI Physics Department and the Charlottetown Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC).

Cancellation of Saturday (Oct. 12) viewing; Possibility of Sunday viewing

Due to cloudy skies, we have cancelled the viewing scheduled for Saturday, October 12, 2013.

The weather is looking clear for tomorrow evening, so we are tentatively scheduling a viewing for Sunday, October 13, 2013 from 7:00 to 9:00 PM.  The forecast will be evaluated later tomorrow and an update posted if this viewing also needs to be cancelled (Keep your fingers crossed for clear skies!).

If the viewing goes ahead, those wishing to attend are asked to meet in Memorial Building Room 417.

(Cancelled) October 12, 2013 – Public Viewing

UPDATED 5:17 PM October 12 – This viewing has been cancelled due to weather. Please see most recent website post for information about the “cloud”-date viewing.

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We have a public viewing scheduled for Saturday, October 12 from 7:00 to 9:00 PM.  Those attending the viewing are asked to meet in Memorial Building Room 417.

The weather forecast is looking pretty good now, but with a chance of clouds which may interfere with viewing depending on where they land in the sky.  If the weather isn’t appropriate for viewing on Saturday, an update will be posted here by 6:30 PM.

We have a “rain”-date scheduled for Sunday at 7:00-9:00 PM in the event of cancelling Saturday’s event.