CRAWFORD COUNTY, OH (CRAWFORD COUNTY NOW)—The Crawford Park Astronomy Club invites the public to join them on Saturday, December 28, at 7 p.m. at Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route, for an evening of celestial exploration. Club members will share their knowledge and telescope skills, offering a chance to view some of winter’s most spectacular sights.
Among the targets for the evening are:
- Saturn: Known for its stunning rings, which are currently at their thinnest angle. Saturn is 1 billion miles away and has 146 moons, with Titan being the largest.
- Jupiter: Famous for its unique cloud bands, Jupiter is ½ billion miles away. Viewers can see four of its main large moons out of a total of 95.
- Orion Nebula (M42): A local sight only 1,500 light-years away, this nebula is a birthplace of baby stars and has an apparent magnitude of 4.
- Crab Nebula (M1): A supernova remnant that exploded in 1054 AD, located 6,500 light-years away in the constellation Taurus.
- Andromeda Galaxy (M31): A barred spiral galaxy 2 million light-years away, it is our nearest major galactic neighbor. It’s a treat to view its two satellite galaxies, M32 and M110.
- North Star (Polaris): A double star and one of the easiest stars to locate, it is the tail in the constellation of Ursa Minor (Little Bear).
The visibility of these objects will depend on the cloud cover.
Feeding Day at Lowe-Volk Park
On Monday, December 30, at 2 p.m., join Crawford Park District Naturalist Lisa at Lowe-Volk Park, 2401 State Route 598, for Feeding Day. Discover what’s on the menu for the animals in the Nature Center, which could include leafy greens, vegetables, fruits, shrimp, worms, bugs, or mice. This is a great opportunity to feed some of the wildlife ambassadors at the park.
For more information on the Crawford Park District, visit crawfordpd.org or follow them on Facebook.