Visit Perkins Observatory with the OWU Astronomy Club!

Have you ever seen Saturn through a telescope? The first time I did, I was shocked at how detailed and beautiful it is through even a small telescope. Come with the OWU astronomy club on a trip to Perkins Observatory, where you will have a chance to see Saturn and more through a 32-inch telescope! The program will be led by OWU’s resident astrophysicist, Dr. Robert Harmon. 

This semester, the Astronomy Club aims to do two trips to Perkins. The first will take place in late September to early October according to club president Julia Walsh. The club is working with Dr. Harmon and Perkins Observatory staff to decide on an exact date. Transportation to Perkins Observatory will be provided by the club. Keep an eye on the OWU Daily for when it is scheduled. 

There are a variety of night-sky objects that can only truly be seen with a telescope. Jupiter and Saturn will both be visible early in the night. The planets are the most detailed and spectacular night sky objects that you can look at through a telescope, but they can be seen through even binoculars. 

There are several nebulae and globular clusters that can be viewed through the large telescope at Perkins in much greater detail than through an amateur telescope. Nebulae are regions of light-emitting gases that can take a variety of shapes. The club will look at a planetary nebula called the Ring Nebula, which was formed in the final stages of the life of a star like our sun. The “planetary” in the name comes from early astronomers who thought that they resembled planets. 

A globular cluster is an old, dense collection of stars bound together by their own gravity. Dr. Harmon says that globular clusters are his favorite thing to look at through the Perkins telescope. He described it as “looking at a jewel box of stars.” The view through a backyard telescope just does not compare.

Perkins Observatory’s main telescope offers a spectacular view of these celestial objects, but it also has a collection of smaller telescopes and binoculars that will be available so that everyone on the trip can observe at the same time. 

Perkins Observatory has public programs available almost every Friday, and during the summer there are solar viewing events. If you are interested, make sure to sign up when the event is posted in the OWU Daily. Do remember to check the weather before going, as it can get quite cold at night!