Around the Town with Phil: Never Stop Looking Up!

Carl Sagan once said, "Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known."

Perhaps you'll discover that incredible something by looking through the scope of a telescope starting this Saturday.

The UMass Dartmouth Observatory and the Astronomical Society of Southern New England (ASSNE) are pleased to invite the university community and the general public to their free spring-semester night-sky viewing session at the campus observatory.

Viewing will take place through the observatory's 16-inch telescope and other telescopes operated by ASSNE members.

The Astronomical Society of Southern New England is a non-profit club of amateur astronomers who serve Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts with educational outreach programs and public viewing. ASSNE assists UMass Dartmouth in operating the University Observatory and telescope for public viewings.

The ASSNE motto is "To Educate and Inspire."

For more information about the Astronomical Society of Southern New England, check online at http://www.assne.org/.

For spring 2018, the Observatory is scheduled to hold open observation hours on:

Saturday, March 24, starting 8:00 PM EDT
Saturday, April 21, starting 8:30 PM EDT
Saturday, May 5, starting 8:30 PM EDT

The UMass Dartmouth Observatory is located in the field to the right of the main campus entrance off Old Westport Road in North Dartmouth. Parking is available in designated spaces on Ring Road or in Lot 17. Admission is free. Children are welcome to attend if accompanied by an adult.

This event will take place only if the weather permits (clear skies). In the event of cancellation, an announcement will be available before each event around 5 PM at https://www.meetup.com/ASSNE-MA-RI/ or by calling (508) 999-8715 for a recorded cancellation message.

For more information about the observatory, donate to its operations, or to become an individual or corporate sponsor, please contact Prof. Alan Hirshfeld at ahirshfeld@umassd.edu or (508) 999-8715.

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