Saturday is international Astronomy Day, and enthusiasts in Tucson are having a star party to celebrate.
The Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association will set up telescopes at Brandi Fenton Memorial Park on East River Road starting at noon. There will be hands-on activities such as making pocket sun dials and solar systems and meteor impact craters.
The club will provide safe viewing of the sun during the daylight hours, and as the sun sets, the focus will shift to objects in the night sky through 9 p.m.
Jim Knoll, who organizes events for the group, said a club member will offer a “walk around the night sky” presentation at 7:30 p.m.
“We’ll be able to look a some really cool stuff like Jupiter. It will be high in the sky, and that’s our largest planet," Knoll said. "We’ll look at Mars. It will come up late in the evening. We’ll look at star clusters, some galaxies."
People with telescopes who need help in set up or operating can bring them to the park for assistance.
The club will give away a 2-inch telescope at 7 p.m.
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