Astronomical society to host 2 star parties

Astronomical marvels will be on display Friday and Saturday nights during star parties sponsored by the Salt Lake Astronomical Society — if the weather allows.

The star party planned for Taylorsville on Friday seems likely to meet with mostly cloudy skies, according to the National Weather Service. But the agency's prediction for the event Saturday at Stansbury Park, in Tooele County, is a delightful "mostly clear."

Still, it will be hard to know if clouds will get in the way until shortly before the events, so those interested should keep an eye on the weather.

Ann House, vice president of the group, said several colorful and bright stars will be visible, including Capella, a yellow star in the northwest; Vega, a white star about as high in the northeast as Capella is in its sector of the sky; and orange Acturus, hanging high in the southeast.

If the viewing is good, distant planets — and even more distant star clusters — may be on the agenda. A globular cluster, in which many thousands of stars clump together, presents a view rivaling the dazzle of a diamond broach. Venus will blaze as the brightest object in the night sky after the moon; the huge banded planet Jupiter will rise late in the evening, with Saturn high above.

Amateur astronomers are planning to aim telescopes at the heavenly sights and provide information about them.

The free public star parties will be held if the weather permits. They are scheduled for:

• Friday in Taylorsville, at the Harmons store, 5454 S. Redwood Road. The star party will begin at dusk.

• Saturday at the club's Stansbury Park Observatory Complex, Stansbury Park. The complex is about 30 miles west of Salt Lake City. From I-80, take the Tooele/Grantsville exit, drive south until the road forks to Grantsville; take the right fork and go about one mile to the west entrance of Stansbury Park. After reaching the subdivision's entrance, visitors should turn in, then take the first right into the parking lot.

House said observing through the observatory's telescopes, and those set up by members, will begin around dusk. Also, a program lasting about a half hour starts at 9:15 p.m., with a member of the club, Bill Kennedy, presenting the first of a two-part lecture providing an introduction to the telescope.

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