Astronomy buffs of all ages are invited to a free stargazing party at the Blinn College-Schulenburg campus on Saturday, April 25.
Astronomer Gordon Houston will give a brief presentation at 8 p.m., and as darkness falls and the stars become visible, will conduct a constellation tour. Guests should wear comfortable shoes to climb the ladder to the observatory and may wish to bring a lawn chair, jacket and insect repellant.
The event is dependent upon clear evening skies. Guests may visit www.cleardarksky.com and enter Schaefer Observatory in the keyword search box to check conditions.
The Schaefer Observatory was built in the 1940s by local hardware store owner H.P. Schaefer and his sons to view the moon’s surface. The family donated the 27-foot tall galvanized metal structure to the Schulenburg school district in 1991, and in 2008 Blinn received the observatory. It is located behind the main building on Blinn’s Schulenburg campus at 100 Ranger Drive.
For more information or to be added to the mailing list for future star parties, contact Loraine Orellana at 979-743-5237.
Blinn – Schulenburg offers a variety of academic transfer, workforce training and continuing education classes to fit the needs of any student. For information on course offerings and student registration, visit: www.blinn.edu/schulenburg or call 979-743-5200.
