Gathering under the stars above the Longmont campus of Front Range Community College is becoming a can’t miss event, said physical professor Anthony Smith.
“Lately we’ve been getting crowds of around 20 which has been great,” said Smith, lead physics and astronomy faculty at Front Range.
Front Range is hosting its once-a –month or so stargazing event on Monday, Jan. 24 from 8-to-9:30 p.m. at the astronomy observatory in the courtyard of the Classroom Building at the Longmont campus, 2121 Miller Drive.
“Once you enter the courtyard, just look for the white dome,” according to a FRCC news release.
The event is free and open to anyone, although bad weather could cancel it for another time, Smith said.
Roughly half of the observers are astronomy students who are required to attend, Smith said. “No one should study astronomy and not see the stars,” he said.
A few students taking night classes at Front Range also turn their eyes upward. “The rest are interested members of the public of all ages and abilities,” Smith said.
The twin goals of the stargazing event is to teach and entertain. We want “to support the astronomy education of our students and to share the wonder of astronomy with Longmont and the surrounding community,” he said.
