dipper@utastro.UUCP (Debbie Byrd) (04/27/85)
Today is Astronomy Day. We'll talk more about how your town may be celebrating -- after this. April 27 Astronomy Day This is a red letter day for us -- Astronomy Day -- in cities and towns all over North America. Astronomy Day is a special day for those who don't know much about the sky -- but who want to learn. Star parties are the main event of most Astronomy Days. A star party is what happens when you've got at least one person with a telescope willing to show other folks what's up there. In big cities that have large astronomy clubs, you might find several people with telescopes today. They might be set up in parks or at shopping centers -- anywhere people are likely to gather. That's the whole idea beyond Astronomy Day. It's meant to give people a chance to turn on to astronomy. The first Astronomy Day was in 1973, in the San Francisco Bay area. Now lots of places celebrate the day -- maybe also the place where you live. Local astronomy clubs or museums sometimes sponsor the activities of the day. They might offer a variety of events -- star parties -- slide shows -- displays of astrophotography -- or maybe a public lecture on astronomy. Our advice is to check your local newspaper, or listen to the radio, for word of any possible events where you live. So that's Astronomy Day -- today. The nice thing about this day is that if you can't find any special activities in your town, you can celebrate all by yourself -- by just going outside at night -- and looking up! Script by Deborah Byrd. (c) Copyright 1984, 1985 McDonald Observatory, University of Texas at Austin