Mount Tamalpais School Observatory
Open House Program
Please join us—clear skies permitting—for one of our upcoming MTS Observatory open house programs. The Observatory will be open to adults and accompanied students for a casual educational program beginning at 7:45 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 24. Saturn will be near its peak visibility, and a waning moon will illuminate the evening sky.
Remember: If you visit the MTSO link on the school web site (www.mttam.org), you can sign up to receive brief e-mail notifications about MTSO programs/dates and last minute notices about weather related closures. It’s easy to do and allows us to provide the quickest notification in case the fog rolls in. Click the MTS Observatory link on our main page and simply enter your name e-mail address. E-mail addresses submitted will be used exclusively to notify you of upcoming Observatory events and news.
A few notes for those planning to attend our Open House programs:
¤ Check for cloudy conditions before departing.
¤ Dress very warmly.
¤ Young astronomers (K-2) are welcome but please monitor closely.
Astronomy Dates 2009-2010
October 20: Orionids Meteor Shower. The Orionids is an average shower producing about 20 meteors per hour at their peak. This shower usually peaks on the 21st, but it is highly irregular. This year, a waxing crescent moon will set early, providing an excellent viewing opportunity.
November 11: Close to the new moon
CANCELLED - January 27: Mars at Opposition. The red planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. This is the best time to view and photograph Mars.
March 31: Close to the new moon
May 5: Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower. The Eta Aquarids are a light shower, usually producing about 10 meteors per hour at their peak. The radiant point for this shower will be in the constellation Aquarius.
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Founded in 2005, the MTS Observatory is a 12' x 17' roll-off roof observatory located on the MTS campus. Featuring a Celestron 11-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope with an adjustable height pier, the MTS Observatory affords High School-caliber observation and study of stars, planets, nebulae, galaxies, the Sun and other celestial objects.
The MTS Observatory will complement our academic curricula while enabling students and adults alike to see stars, planets, sunspots, moons, rings, nebulae and galaxies with their "own eyes." Our goal is to enrich students' education and personal experiences and rekindle awareness of the universe around us that is too often hidden from our view.
If you would like to receive brief email notifications regarding the new MTS Observatory and our Open House programs, please send fill out the form with your name and email address. After subscribing you will be sent a confirmation email within 24 hours. The MTS Observatory will send occasional email reminders to all subscribers about Open House programs, last minute closure notices when the fog rolls in, and other simple email messages regarding the Observatory program.
"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery every day." - Albert Einstein
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