Explore The Night Sky This Fall During Community Nights In MCCC’s Observatory

PHOTO: Kelli Spangler, assistant professor of physics and astronomy, operates the MEADE Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope in Montgomery County Community College’s Observatory. Photo by Matt Carlin

Blue Bell, Pa.—Members of the community are invited to explore the night sky this fall during three open community nights in Montgomery County Community College’s (MCCC) state-of-the-art Observatory and Observation Deck.

Fall 2015 commuity nights will be held from 8-10 p.m. on Mondays, Sept. 21, Oct. 12 and Nov. 9. The Observatory is located on the third floor of MCCC’s Advanced Technology Center at its Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell.

Community nights are free of charge and are open to the public; astronomy clubs are welcome to participate. Students from MCCC’s Introduction to Astronomy course volunteer during the event to share their knowledge and assist visitors with using the telescope and viewing equipment. 

Montgomery County Community College’s Observatory features a 16-inch MEADE Schmidt-Cassegrain research-level telescope and a 90-mm Coronado telescope for safe observation of the sun. All of the instruments are controllable both in the classroom as well as in the Observatory itself. Through a fiber network, images can be downloaded for further study and comparison and can be used in online courses. 

For more information about the College’s Observatory, including events, directions, and affiliated associations, visit http://www.mc3.edu/campus-life/observatory.

All Observatory events are subject to weather conditions. In the event of inclement or questionable weather, call the observatory hotline, 215-641-6460, an hour prior to the event for possible cancellation information.

NASA Discovers Two Earth-Like Planets; Penn State Grad On Scientific Team

An artist’s depiction of an extrasolar, Earthlike planet.. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Two planets orbiting a distant star represent the first Earth-sized planets to be discovered at a distance from the host sun that allows them to be warm enough to sustain liquid water, an essential element to support life.

The NASA-led project, involving a Beaver Falls native and 2003 graduate of Penn State Erie, discovered five planets orbiting the star Kepler-62 that lies 1,000 light-years from Earth.  One of those planets is 1.6 times the size of Earth and another is 1.4 times Earth’s size.

Planets as large as three times the size of Earth are terrestrial, or made of rock.  Larger planets typically comprise gases or a combination of gases and rock, which would not support life, said Justin R. Crepp, now an assistant professor of physics the University of Notre Dame.

While Earth-like planets within the habitable zone represent the holy grail of astronomy, technology in development will be necessary to determine whether the two planets contain oxygen, carbon dioxide, methane or water — all elements necessary for life.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/news/science/nasa-discovers-two-earth-like-planets-penn-state-grad-on-scientific-team-684053/#ixzz2QqgVJ0qg