Saturn’s Enceladus Focus of April 28 Star Party

Often described as a snowball in space, due to its highly reflective surface, Saturn’s bright moon, Enceladus has a large impact on the planet and its other moons. Roughly the size of Arizona, Enceladus has a wide variety of surface features, including the fascinating surface vents of its south polar region, which send water-rich plumes into space.

CWU’s monthly Star Party will take place at 9:30 p.m., April 28 in Lind Hall, room 215. Guest speaker Jessica Kisner will talk about Saturn and its moons, primarily Enceladus. Kisner is studying physics, math, and astronomy. Her interests are particle physics, cosmology, star formation, and planetary geology.

“The Star Parties are free to the public and are 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 we use an astronomy app called Stellarium to simulate the night sky. We provide free hot cocoa and tea!”

With the spring schedule, the star parties start at 9:30 p.m. and may last till midnight. Parking at CWU lots is free after 4:30 p.m.

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

Photo: The brightly reflective moon Enceladus appears before Saturn's rings while the larger moon Titan looms in the distance. Photo courtesy of NASA.

Media Contact: Valerie Chapman-Stockwell, Public Affairs, 509-963-1518, valeriec@cwu.edu
4/26/16