A Shining Opportunity
Perkins Observatory will hold its ‘Celebration of the Sun’ in July. (Photo by Paul Molitor)
DELAWARE, Ohio – Ohio Wesleyan University’s Perkins Observatory will shine for three days in July with its annual daytime “Celebration of the Sun.” The special Saturday celebrations will be held at 4 p.m. July 13, 20, and 27 at the observatory, 3199 Columbus Pike (U.S. 23), Delaware.
The Celebration of the Sun events will replace the regular Friday night programs during those weeks. Participants will celebrate, discuss, and observe the sun using special telescopes and eclipse glasses – weather permitting, said Tom Burns, director of the observatory.
Perkins staff and volunteers will help guests to observe sunspots and solar prominences – explosions on the sun’s surface, Burns said. He cautions it is not safe for people to look at the sun without appropriate eye protection and the careful supervision of trained astronomers.
Other planned “Celebration of the Sun” activities include rocket launches, sundial demonstrations, views of a 1,000-yard model of the solar system, tours of the observatory, and, of course, the Perkins ghost story.
The observatory will hold its regularly scheduled Friday evening programs at all other times. Those events include stargazing with the facility’s 32-inch Schottland Telescope – weather permitting.
Reservations are strongly recommended for all Perkins Observatory events as many programs sell out in advance. Advance tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for children (17 and under), and $6 for senior citizens (62 and older). Tickets are $2 more if purchased at the door. To reserve tickets or determine at-the-door availability, call (740) 363-1257.
Founded in 1923, Perkins Observatory is an active research facility used by Ohio Wesleyan students and faculty. “The Place for Space” also conducts hundreds of public programs and welcomes tens of thousands of people each year. Learn more at http://perkins.owu.edu.
Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier small, private universities, with more than 90 undergraduate majors, sequences, and courses of study, and 23 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Located in Delaware, Ohio, just minutes north of Ohio’s capital and largest city, Columbus, the university combines a globally focused curriculum with off-campus learning and leadership opportunities that translate classroom theory into real-world practice. OWU’s close-knit community of 1,850 students represents 47 states and 57 countries. Ohio Wesleyan was named to the 2013 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction, is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives,” and is included on the “best colleges” lists of U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review. Learn more at www.owu.edu.