Astronomy Event Set For Friday

Hobbs State Park - Conservation Area is offering a hands-on astronomy workshop Friday, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the park’s visitor center on Arkansas 12 east of Rogers. Participants will build their own fullscale working models of the telescope used by Galileo 400 years ago.

The easy-to-understand workshop will be taught by Stuart Riley, who has a doctorate in astronomy. He has served as an officer with the Astronomical Society of Kansas City and is now a member of the Northwest Arkansas Star Gazers.

According to Riley, “I enjoy outreach and teaching the public and interested students in searching and learning about the nightskies, how to view with telescopes, and some theory on why astronomy, chemistry, physics, and nature are highly integrated. More importantly, I enjoy the splendor of spending time under Arkansas night skies at Hobbs.”

Night sky viewing will begin following the workshop if skies are clear. All participants are asked to bring a tripod for their Galileoscope, one folding chair per person, binoculars and flashlights with the lenses covered either with red cloth or a red balloon.

Cost is $35 plus tax and includes one Galileoscope and complete instructions for up to four in a group.

The workshop is for those ages 10 and older.

Reservations: 789-5000.

Northwest Profile, Pages 37 on 12/15/2013

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