On Friday evening, April 3, as the sun nears the horizon, at least ten telescopes will be available at Mt.Trashmore Park for the public to view the moon, Saturn, and an assortment of exciting celestial objects. This Virginia Beach event supports 100 Hours of Astronomy – a worldwide event intended to encourage as many people as possible to look through a telescope as Galileo did for the first time 400 years ago. Galileo (1564-1642) was the first astronomer to make full use of the telescope, observing the craters of the moon and the satellites of Jupiter. 

Always an astronomical treat, Saturn’s rings are a memorable sight to all who see them through a telescope for the first time. Stargazers will have the opportunity to view Saturn’s rings “edge-on” -- an astronomical phenomenon that happens only once every 15 years.  The great Orion nebula, the beautiful open star cluster “The Pleiades” in Taurus, and the mountains and craters found on a lovely first quarter moon will be visible through a telescope.  This event will also provide an opportunity to identify constellations as they are pointed out throughout the evening. 

Virginia Beach planetarium coordinator Charles Dibbs is organizing this free, first-time event in partnership with the Virginia Beach Department of Parks and Recreation, the Back Bay Amateur Astronomers (BBAA), the Norfolk Astronomical Society (NAS), and the Virginia Peninsula Astronomy Stargazers (VPAS) to provide the telescopes and manpower to host this public event.

Although this event begins at sunset and continues until 11:00 p.m., some telescopes will be available during the afternoon hours to observe the sun. A rain date is scheduled for Saturday, April 4. For additional information contact Charles Dibbs at charlesf.dibbs@vcbschools.com or 757-648-4940.

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