PRESS RELEASE

IU Kokomo Observatory to host first Open House of the academic year Sunday

KOKOMO, Ind. — The Indiana University Kokomo Observatory will host its first free open house of the academic year at 8 p.m. on Sunday, September 14.

Patrick Motl, dean of the School of Sciences and professor of physics, will begin the open house with an overview and early results from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory. Located on a mountaintop in Chile, the Rubin Observatory uses the largest camera ever built to capture the cosmos. It will repeatedly scan the sky for 10 years to create an ultra-wide, ultra-high-definition time-lapse record of the universe.

After the presentation, stargazers may be able to see Saturn and highlights from the Summer Triangle like the color contrast double star Albireo and the ring nebula. through the Observatory’s telescopes. They include a six-inch Takahashi refracting telescope and a 16-inch Meade reflecting telescope mounted together. The Takahashi provides exceptionally sharp images of planets, while the Meade allows viewers to see fainter objects in the sky, due to its larger light-collecting area. 

Observation will continue through 10 p.m., weather permitting.

Additional open houses are planned from 8 to 10 p.m. on October 12, March 8, April 12, and May 17; and from 7 to 9 p.m. on November 9, December 14, January 11, and February 8.

The Observatory is at 2660 S. Washington Street. Free parking is available on campus.

Education is KEY at Indiana University Kokomo.