An actor portraying Renaissance astronomer Johannes Kepler and, weather permitting, a star party to observe Jupiter and its moons and the craters of the Earth's moon will highlight the Galilean Nights celebration Friday, Oct. 23 and Saturday, Oct. 24, at the University of Chicago's Yerkes Observatory, 373 W. Geneva St., Williams Bay, Wisc.
Actor and retired high-school science teacher John McFarland will appear in period costume as Kepler beginning at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23. The program includes a tour of Yerkes' historic 40-inch refracting telescope, and, weather permitting, a view of Jupiter and the moon through small telescopes on the observatory's south lawn.
McFarland will transport his audience back to 1609, when Galileo first turned a telescope to the sky to discover features on the moon, to reveal the secrets of Jupiter and its moons, and other wonders. As Kepler, he will circulate 400-year-old coins and books, and display a modern replica of Galileo's first telescope.
All attendees will receive a CD of astronomy songs, including one about Galileo, written especially for the International Year of Astronomy 2009, which celebrates the 400th anniversary of the telescope.
The Galilean Nights Star Party will run from 7 to 9 p.m. the following evening, weather permitting, on the observatory's south lawn. Teachers from Yerkes Professional Learning Community and amateur astronomers will share telescope views, answer questions and do activities with families.
McFarland will again be on hand to mingle with the crowd and to discuss the importance of Galileo's discoveries.
The Yerkes staff recommends that visitors wear warm jackets, hats, and gloves or mittens, and close-toed shoes or sneakers. Visitors bringing flashlights should use a red filter or cover them with a small brown paper bag secured with rubber bands or tape to avoid interfering with observing.
The suggested donation for both events is $10 for adults and $5 for children. To register for one or both events, please call Yerkes Observatory at 262-245-5555, ext. 810, or fill out the online registration form at this link: http://astro.uchicago.edu/yerkes/news.html.
Related links:
- John McFarland's Johannes Kepler Project
- O'Hare Airport exhibit provides portal to cosmos (June 30, 2009)