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Have you ever wondered what's really out there in the night sky? Wished you could zoom in on cosmic marvels? What if you had a handful of astronomers at your elbow, showing the way, answering your questions in plain language?
That's a Focus Night at Robert Ferguson Observatory! These are small groups so you get plenty of scope time, and a chance to focus on--
NEPTUNE is the last of the major planets. It is a gas giant planet that has the fastest winds ever recorded in the solar system. Like the other gas giants, it is home to many moons but the real story of Neptune is how it was discovered. Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn have been known since ancient times. We needed the telescope to discover Uranus and to discover Neptune we needed a little imagination, a little trust in Newton and a couple of brilliant minds willing to take the time to work through hundreds of pages of mathematical calculations.
Neptune is a couple of billion miles away but we can see it in the telescope. It marks a boundary of space where objects known as TNOs (Trans-Neptunian Objects) exist and the story of its discovery is as entertaining as it is interesting. Neptune the unseen planet that was discovered without a telescope.
Rain Check: October 26, 7:00 PM
Program info: In the observatory classroom you'll hear an in-depth presentation. Afterward, we move outside to three different telescopes for a direct look at the evening's topic - and more. In our new 40-inch reflector, one of the largest public telescopes in California, you can see details of deep-space objects that will leave you murmuring in awe.
For vital information about directions, parking, arrival times, rain dates and more, please visit http://rfo.org/classes.html and click on the "Focus Night" tab.
For more information about the Robert Ferguson Observatory and its other astronomy programs, please visit http://rfo.org.
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LocationRobert Ferguson Observatory, Sugarloaf Ridge State Park (View)
2605 Adobe Canyon Road
Kenwood, CA 95452
United States
Categories
| Minimum Age: 6 |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: Yes! |
| Wheelchair Accessible: Yes! |
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