EIU Media Relations

EIU Astronomy Club to Host January 26 Observatory Viewing, Open House

Contributing Author: Kaitlyn Ebert

The EIU Astronomy Club invites community members to the EIU observatory for an open house and viewing beginning at 7 p.m. Friday, January 26.

Those attending the event will have the opportunity to observe clear skies with binoculars and telescopes. If the weather is overcast, attendees will receive a complete tour of the facility. The observatory contains a 16-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope, which is computer controlled for both positioning and data acquisition.

Donald Pakey, director of the observatory and associate professor of physical science, encourages any interested participants in the area to attend the open house event this Friday. He also notes that these events are regularly offered on the last Friday of each month regardless of weather conditions.

“Although we use the observatory for classes and research here at the university, we also want this facility to be used for community outreach,” Pakey said. “The faculty and students are grateful for the chance to use this equipment for academic purposes, but we want to share the enjoyment of learning about astronomy with others.”

Pakey also recommends bringing additional binoculars or equipment from home if available.

The EIU observatory is located on the southwest portion of the campus, near the athletic fields. Precise directions can be found on the observatory website at www.eiu.edu/physics/observatory.php.

For more information on the open house, contact Donald Pakey by calling (217) 581-3220 or emailing ddpakey@eiu.edu.