September 27, 2019

The Delta College Planetarium in downtown Bay City will host a public event on Friday, October 4 from 7-10pm to celebrate the 9th Annual International Observe the Moon Night. The event will feature viewing of the moon from the planetarium’s rooftop observation deck with telescopes and binoculars (weather permitting). There will also be activities to help visitors see and identify interesting lunar features as well as other night sky wonders.

The program will begin with a special live production in the planetarium’s Dome360 Theatre beginning at 7pm. Planetarium Manager Mike Murray will provide a tour of the lunar surface as seen through binoculars and telescopes, and share some of the latest discoveries made from spacecraft. After the program (and if the skies are clear), the public is invited to the rooftop observation deck for a look at the moon through telescopes with help from the Sunset Astronomical Society and Delta College Astronomy Club. The Planetarium show will run regardless of weather. Tickets for the show are priced at $3/seat and the observing is free. In case of clouds on October 4, the staff will try to observe again on Saturday, October 5 at 8pm.

This is the 9th anniversary of International Observe the Moon Night (InOMN), a public campaign to celebrate and observe Earth’s nearest neighbor. InOMN was established shortly after the launch of NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), which is celebrating its ninth year in orbit around the moon. The spacecraft is still working to gather the most detailed images of the moon’s surface ever taken, and has revealed many surprises about the geology and composition of our nearest celestial neighbor. More about the mission can be explored at https://lunar.gsfc.nasa.gov/.

The InOMN team includes science and education enthusiasts from the United States and around the world. The team stays abreast of current lunar scientific discoveries and brings them to the public’s attention by coordinating with museums and schools. The Delta College Planetarium is one of those participants along with local astronomy clubs.

The Delta College Planetarium is located at 100 Center Avenue in downtown Bay City. For more information about the planetarium visit www.delta.edu/planet.