Two sophisticated spacecraft are currently en route to Jupiter to explore the moons of the big planet. Europa clipper from the US will concentrate on an icy moon which harbors a large ocean under its thick crust of ice. The JUpiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) sent by the European Space Agency will orbit Ganimede, a moon bigger than the planet Mercury. I will describe both missions, some of their major instruments and I will explain their scientific importance. After a short break I will show the main objects visible that night through a wonderful free planetary software before going outside to show the constellations, Jupiter and its moons, the other visible planets and whatever the weather permits through telescopes and binoculars. In case of bad weather a small telescope will be available to observe a 3x5 poster of Mars from 40’ away. Children will be encouraged to manipulate the telescope under adult supervision. Documents will be available explaining how to obtain free astronomy software, what to watch in the sky, and listing the major astronomy sites on the net.
Date: Wednesday, February 12 - Saturday, February 22, 2025
Time: 7 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Central
Location:
Friendswood Library
416 S. Friendswood Dr., Friendswood, TX 77546
Houston, TX 77546