UAF physics students host stargazing event and open house
November 12, 2019
The Society of Physics Students at the University of Alaska Fairbanks will host a
free stargazing open house Nov. 15. The family-friendly event also will feature interactive
physics demonstrations inside the Reichardt Building on the Fairbanks campus.
Viewers can hope to see popular celestial bodies such as the Andromeda galaxy, the Seven Sisters star cluster, the Orion nebula, the Hercules globular cluster and other impressive features. Double stars, which seem near each other but actually lie far apart, may also be visible.
Stargazers can learn more about the night sky while warming up inside the Reichardt Building, where displays will be set up, along with hot cocoa and cookies.
New this year is the cloud chamber, which allows guests to see tiny cosmic ray impacts. High-energy particles that come from the sun and other sources are normally invisible. Cloud chambers, which are small artificial environments that interact with these subatomic particles, reveal them in the form of light bursts and streaks.
“With this demo, we set up an environment where the particles impact with alcohol molecules, and that will produce small bursts of light,” said physics student and SPS president Evans Callas. “It’s worthwhile to see.”
Astropalooza begins at 6 p.m. and runs until 10 p.m., regardless of weather.
Parking for the event will be in the lot behind the Reichardt Building, located at 1930 Yukon Drive on the West Ridge of the Fairbanks campus. The lights will be turned off in the event area, so please be courteous and drive safely.