The Department, in cooperation with the Dudley Observatory,
invites the public to learn about the planet Mars on Wednesday evening, August 27, from 8:30-11:00 PM.
On that date, Mars will be closer to Earth than at any time since the year 57,617 BC (59,620 years ago).
Mars will be about 34,646,418 miles from Earth on that day. This Open House event will feature
astronomical telescopes
for viewing Mars (weather permitting), presentations about Mars, a NASA video showing the launch
of the Mars Odyssey spacecraft from Cape Canaveral, and a small sample from Mars (Nakhla meteorite).
The University's 16 inch telescope
is located on the roof of the Earth Science building.
The event is free to the public. Lots of parking is available in the State Quad lots
(State Gold and State Purple lots) that are easily reached from the Washington Avenue entrances to campus.
Signs will be posted on-campus for this event. The State Quad parking lot is located about
200 yards from the Earth Science building, where all events will occur.
This event is co-sponsored by the
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the
University at Albany and the
Dudley Observatory .
Assistance from the following organizations is also gratefully acknowledged:
Schenectady Museum and Planetarium
Henry Hudson Planetarium
Albany Area Amateur Astronomers
New York Center for Studies on the Origin of Life