WILLIAMSTOWN -- Experience the wonders of the universe at the Milham Planetarium, located inside the Old Hopkins Observatory at Williams College.
Astronomy students at the college will host free shows for the public on Friday evenings at 7:30 p.m. beginning on Feb. 1 and running through May 3, with the exception of Spring Break, March 22 and March 29.
Audiences will be treated to shows from the high-precision Zeiss Skymaster ZKP3/B opto-mechanical planetarium projector, installed in April 2005.
The Zeiss Skymaster is capable of demonstrating phenomena including: retrograde motions of the planets, phases of the moon, the varying temperatures/colors of stars, locations of neighboring galaxies, the mythological figures and zodiacal signs ascribed to constellations, the Southern Hemisphere’s sky, comets, artificial satellites and more.
Spring 2013 shows will be hosted by Williams College students Muzhou Lu ‘13, Connor Dempsey ‘13, Pushpanjali Giri ‘14, and Charles Baxter ‘14. Field Memorial Professor of Astronomy, Jay Pasachoff, is Director of the Hopkins Observatory.
The Hopkins Observatory, built in 1836-38 by the first professor of astronomy at Williams College, Albert Hopkins, is the oldest extant observatory in the United States. Shows will last about 50 minutes.
The Hopkins Observatory is on a small hill on the north side of Main Street
Reservations are recommended, and large groups should call for special appointments. To make a reservation contact Michele Rech at: 413-597-2188, mcr4@williams.edu.
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