Bodes Galaxy pair. Photo by Tom Engwall
After a long hiatus due to COVID-19, the Astronomy Club of Asheville resumes public star gazes on Friday, April 29, at Grassland Mountain Observatory (GMO) in Madison County. In the event of inclement weather, the star gaze will take place Saturday, April 30. Attendees should arrive just before sunset, which occurs at 8:15 p.m. both nights.
“Sunsets are often quite striking at GMO, and the chance to see the Belt of Venus just afterward adds to the wonder of this special place,” says Astronomy Club board advisor Bernard Arghiere. “And once darkness has set in, the skies are much darker than many visitors have ever seen, with thousands of stars visible to the unaided eyes on a clear, moonless night.
Sombrero Galaxy. Photo by Vince Castello
GMO is a private observatory owned and operated by the Astronomy Club of Asheville. The site’s primary instrument is a Meade LX200R 16-inch f/10 Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope. Those who arrive before dark on April 29 can enjoy panoramic mountain views and a chance to easily spot the planet Mercury with unaided eyes, due to its positioning in front of the Pleiades star cluster.
“Amidst the mid-spring zodiac constellations of Gemini, Cancer, Leo and Virgo, we will point the telescopes to some open and globular star clusters, a number of other galaxies including the Sombrero Galaxy, and to many colorful single and multiple star systems in our own Milky Way Galaxy,” says Arghiere.
Registration is not necessary to attend. A temporary gate code, required for entry, will be provided at AstroAsheville.org by 4 p.m. on the day of the star gaze. Directions to Grassland Mountain Observatory can also be found on the website. Web mapping services, including Google maps, should not be used as they have been found inaccurate for this location. All attendees should be fully vaccinated, with boosters, for COVID-19. Masks are recommended.
Learn more at AstroAsheville.org.
