LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - Throughout history, people have been fascinated by the night sky. Have you ever wanted to unlock its wonders and have a “guided tour” through the stars and planets?

Lock Haven University invites the public, from first-time viewers to experienced observers, to participate in Astronomical Fridays. Under the guidance of Associate Professor James M. Wheeler, Department of Geology/Physics, observers will use the university's 12-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope to observe the moon, planets, stars, star clusters, stellar nurseries, stellar corpses, and galaxies.

This month observers should be able to take a look at Mars, Venus, and a very young moon in the constellation Virgo. Also in Virgo is a cluster of Galaxies; this may be the last chance to see them for many months. Meanwhile, Jupiter will be rising in the west and viewers will have a large selection of globular cluster, planetary nebulae, and star-birth regions as the center of the Milky Way is almost due south.

Observing Sessions will take place on the Farrandsville Road Playing fields of Lock Haven University or at Jack Stadium. The playing fields are 1.1 miles above the Jay Street Bridge on the Northeast side of the river, adjacent to the West Branch Soccer Fields. For the fall 2010 semester, observations are scheduled for 8:00 p.m. on September 10, October 8, November 5 and December 3.

Please contact Dr. James Wheeler at 570-484-2054 or jwheeler@lhup.edu for further information.