View Saturn and its rings and get ‘mooned,’ too

Saturn is known as the “WOW” planet. Whenever someone first views it through a telescope and sees the remarkable rings with their own eyes, it is definitely a WOW moment for them. In 1610, Galileo Galilei became the first astronomer to identify the rings around our second largest planet. Saturn also positions itself as the sixth planet from the sun and the most distant that we can see with the naked eye.

Paul Anderson, member of the Sugar Creek Astronomical Society and program presenter at Hobbs State Park, said, “After a short classroom review of what will be in the night sky, we will journey outside for a look through our powerful telescopes to see what makes Saturn such an unbelievably beautiful planet. We will examine its makeup and look closer at the rings. Finally, we will look at a few of the 62 moons of Saturn which vary in diameter from .62 miles to 7,869 miles.

The event is Saturday, Sept. 8, to find out more about the planet Saturn and how to best observe the visible planets this fall: Saturn, Jupiter, Venus and Mars. What to bring, if possible:

• Camera and a tripod for night sky photography

• Flashlight (covered with a red cloth or red balloon)

• Binoculars and/or telescope (if you have)

• Folding chair, one per person

• Star chart (if you have one)

• When: Saturday, Sept. 8 7 p.m. — Lecture

8 p.m. — Night Sky Viewing

Where: Hobbs State Park, Conservation Area’s visitor center

Cost: Free