Look to the Skies Saturday at WNC’s Star Party

Western Nevada College News

The universe is putting on a spectacular show this weekend, and Western Nevada College is inviting the community to take a closer look.

WNC's Jack C. Davis Observatory will host a free Star Party beginning at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, offering visitors an opportunity to explore the night sky through the observatory's telescopes.

Early evening visitors can look toward the west-southwest horizon for Venus, which will shine brilliantly about an hour after sunset. The bright star Spica will appear just a few degrees away. Binoculars can help reveal Spica as twilight fades.

Later in the evening, attention will turn toward Saturn. The ringed planet will rise in the eastern sky and should provide good viewing beginning around 9:30 to 10 p.m., according to WNC Observatory Director Dr. Thomas Herring.

"We'll be able to catch Venus just as the Sun gets behind the mountains, and it will set pretty quickly after it gets dark," Dr. Herring said. "Saturn won't be up until a bit later, maybe 9:30 or 10 p.m. for good views."

The evening also provides excellent opportunities to explore some of the deeper wonders of space.

"This time of the year is great for globular clusters, collections of tens to hundreds of thousands of ancient stars in our galaxy," Herring said. "Also, a couple of nice galaxies including Andromeda, our nearest neighbor, at 2.5 million light years."

Whether visitors are longtime astronomy enthusiasts or simply curious about what can be seen beyond the Carson City, the Star Party offers a chance to experience the night sky with the help of WNC's observatory and astronomy experts.

Jack C. Davis Observatory is located at 2269 Vanpatten Ave. on the northern end of WNC's Carson City campus.

Come early to catch brilliant Venus and Spica, then stay into the evening for Saturn, star clusters and distant galaxies. The forecast is the only thing left to cooperate.