Explore Jupiter and its 67 Moons at the Star Party March 10

Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest in our Solar System. The giant planet has a mass one-thousandth that of the Sun, but two and a half times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined.

Learn about this immense and mysterious giant and its entourage of 67 moons at the March 10 Star Party. The event features guest speaker Ashley Ledbetter, whose interests include gravitational waves, star formation, and cosmology. She is majoring in physics, with an astronomy minor.

The Star Party begins at 8:00 p.m., on March 10, in Lind Hall 215, and is free and open to the public. Parking is free in CWU lots after 4:30 p.m., except in designated spaces and residence hall lots.

“The Star Parties are free to the public and it is a great way for people to learn about astronomy,” said Michael Brice, president, CWU Astronomy Club. “Our Star Parties typically start off with a presentation. If it is clear out then we go to the roof of Lind Hall on campus and look through our telescopes. We usually have two to three telescopes set up.

“If it is cloudy and we can’t see anything then we continue on with another presentation or group discussion or questions; maybe even do a few astronomy-related demos.”

For more information, contact the Astronomy Club at astroclb@cwu.edu.

Photo: Earthrise over Jupiter from Apollo 8. Courtesy of NASA

Media Contact: Valerie Chapman-Stockwell, Public Affairs, 509-963-1518, valeriec@cwu.edu