Walk with Summer Stars at Landis, the Capital Region’s Arboretum

ESPERANCE, NY (05/07/2007)(readMedia)-- The Albany Area Astronomers hold regular, public star parties in the Landis Arboretum's meeting house field. With its dark skies and good horizons the Landis Arboretum is a superb place to explore the night sky. At the events, members of the Albany Area Amateur Astronomers set up telescopes to offer visitors views of celestial showpieces, including nebulae, galaxies, star clusters, doubles stars, and any visible planets.

For those interested, there will be a brief introductory program and constellation tour.

• Friday May 11, 9:30 pm
• Friday June 15, 10 pm
• Saturday June 16, 10 pm
• Saturday July 7, 10 pm
• Tuesday August 21, 7:30 pm (The August 21 gathering is a club meeting -- open to the public -- followed by the star party).

In addition, on Saturday June 9, 9:30 pm, amateur astronomer Alan French will lead a tour of the spring constellations featuring Cygnus (the swan), Hercules the strongman, and Scorpius (the scorpion) and tell some of the legends associated with the constellations. Mr. French will provide valuable hints for enjoying the night sky with the eye alone.

Mr. French has been exploring the night sky for more than 40 years. He and his wife, Susan, have been sharing the night sky with people at star parties in the Capital District for more than 30 years. French is a telescope maker, but also enjoys naked-eye astronomy. He is Vice President of Dudley Observatory's Board of Trustees and the Albany Area Amateur Astronomers.

Visitors to the Arboretum event should bring something to sit on, and dress warmly. The program is cancelled if the sky is cloudy. Participants are encouraged to register by calling 518-374-8460 so that they can be notified if cloudy skies force a cancellation.

The Albany Area Astronomers foster public interest and enjoyment of astronomy. This group of more than 125 enthusiasts, from beginner to expert, meets on the third Tuesday of the month at 7:30 pm at the Schenectady Museum, with the exception of the August meeting, which is held at the Landis Arboretum in Esperance, NY. Meeting programs include speakers, films, slide shows, and planetarium demonstrations. Some club members write a daily astronomical telephone message for Dudley Observatory. Phone 382-7584 after 5 PM or on weekends to hear this free recording.

The AAA owns an 18 inch telescope, and members bring a variety of other telescopes to these gatherings, and are happy to share the views of deep sky wonders or offer help to those new to the hobby.

For more information, visit www.timesunion.com/communities/astronomy. Star Parties are canceled if the skies are mostly cloudy. To check if a particular star party is happening or not, call 518-374-8460.