June 1, 2017

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The MSUB star party will be held at the BLM Acton Recreation Area, pictured here.

Photo courtesy BLM Billings Field Office.

 

NOTE: Star Party rescheduled for June 23... more.

 

MSUB announces Second Annual Star Party

Public invited to star gazing event at dusk, June 9, at the BLM Acton Recreation Area

 

Contacts:

Stuart Snyder, Ph.D., professor of physics, 657-2190

University Relations, 657-2266

 

MSU BILLINGS NEWS SERVICES — Star clusters, galaxies and planets, oh my!

 

telescope
Come out and join Montana State University Billings University faculty and students for the Second Annual Star Party June 9 at the Bureau of Land Management Acton Recreation Area.

 

The public is invited to this free event and encouraged to bring lawn chairs, hot dogs and other campfire treats as a campfire will be set.

 

The University will be providing 8-inch, 10-inch and 12-inch diameter telescopes for public use and MSUB Professor of Physics Stuart Snyder anticipates the clear summer sky to be perfect for viewing deep space objects.

 

“That week Jupiter and Saturn will be out and it’s also a full moon,” he said. “The moons of Jupiter should be visible and if we’re lucky, maybe we’ll get to see the planet’s red spot.”

 

Jupiter’s Great Red Spot is the planet’s most noticeable feature. Technically a storm on the planet, it is 12,400 miles long and 7,500 miles wide.

 

Participants should also be able to view Saturn’s main moon and have excellent sights of Earth’s moon.

 

“The surface of our moon is kind of weird,” Snyder said.

 

Last year, roughly 30 people attended MSU Billings’ Star Party and Snyder hopes even more come out this year.

 

*Get there: From Acton, heading west from Billings on Highway 3, and between mile markers 18 and 19, turn right on Oswald Road. Turn right at Birkley Road. Follow Star Party signs. Continue through gate, just close behind you.