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STAR LIGHT, STAR BRIGHT: Where you can experience the stars in Jackson

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  • Video shows the astronomical observatory at Jackson College.
  • Astronomical Observatory Coordinator Talia Burns shares what can be best seen in the summer.
  • The astronomical observatory is open to the public every Wednesday and Friday from 9-11pm.

(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)

Stars don't seem so far away, here, at Jackson College's astronomical observatory. Astronomical Observatory Coordinator, Talia Burns, explains, "They're able to see stars, planets, the moon, all kinds of things." You can see, even for yourself, every Wednesday and Friday from 9 to 11 pm.

Burns says, "We're able to see Jupiter, and when you look at Jupiter, you can see these four little dots around it. Those are Jupiter's four Galilean moons." Burns shared that summer is a particularly good time for seeing star clusters and the moon very clearly.

"You can see individual stars, like Polaris, the North Star, which is very important in a lot of mythology and navigation," explains Burns. An opportunity to learn about something we're surrounded by, but don't really think about. Burns continues, "Even though our lives are really intertwined with astronomy, with satellites and GPS, constant launches and talk about moon phases... Most people don't know very much." This, according to Burns, is all the more reason neighbors should visit the observatory to see for themselves. "It's just always fun to get people who don't know very much," Burns says. "It's just a really unique opportunity for them to get started in astronomy."

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