Moon will be Focus of Activities Friday Night at the UA

Friday brings International Observe the Moon Night activities to Tucson.

The local event, organized by the Planetary Science Institute and Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium, is open to the public and will run from 5 to 10 p.m. Sept. 18 on the University of Arizona Mall and at the UA’s Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium. The event in Tucson is being held a day earlier than most International Observe the Moon Night (InOMN) events due to the UA football game on Saturday.

“InOMN is a great yearly event to bring people together to learn about lunar science and exploration, as well as Solar System exploration, from our amazing local scientists,” said Sanlyn Buxner, PSI Education Specialist, Research Scientist and event organizer. “The event will feature hands-on activities for the whole family inside the science center and some great views of the skies through telescopes on the UA Mall.”

Free lunar telescope viewing on the Mall will be offered, with telescopes provided by the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association (TAAA), the UA Astronomy Club, the Planetary Science Institute and UA Lunar and Planetary Laboratory graduate students. Flandrau’s 16-inch Cassegrain telescope will also be available for free public viewing of the Moon.

There will be hands-on activities inside Flandrau provided by the UA student chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the Planetary Science Institute, LPL graduate students, National Optical Astronomy Observatory and TAAA. Admission to the Science Center will be free for the event. Visitors will also be able to explore the exhibit “From Tucson to the Moon” about the history of the “space race” and the UA’s role in the effort to land a man on the Moon.  Gerard Kuiper, the astronomer who mapped the Moon and started the UA’s world-renowned Lunar and Planetary Lab, did most of his groundbreaking work on the Moon at the University of Arizona.

The event will kick off the first ever MOON WEEK at Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium which will include special planetarium shows and Moon talks all week culminating in a “Lunar Eclipse Night” viewing event on Sunday Sept. 27.

Event parking is offered at the Second Street Garage and Cherry Street Garage after 5 p.m. for a reduced fee. Street parking at meters is free after 5 p.m.

PSI Senior Scientist and UA Planetary Scientist Steve Kortenkamp will give a free presentation on the Moon at 7:00 p.m. in the planetarium theater. Regular planetarium shows will show the rest of the night for an additional fee.

To round out the InOMN festivities this week, the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association will be hosting a Dark Sky Star Party at Agua Caliente Park, 12325 E. Roger Road in Tucson on Sept. 19 from 7 to 9 p.m.

International Observe the Moon Night is an annual event that is dedicated to encouraging people to ‘look up’ and take notice of our nearest neighbor, the Moon. From looking at the Moon with a naked eye to using the most sensitive telescope, every year on the same day, people from around the world hold events and activities to observe and appreciate the Moon.

Visit http://flandrau.org/exhibts/moon-week-2015 for more information on International Observe the Moon Night activities in Tucson.