SESSION STATUS
Observing sessions are subject to cancellation if the weather is bad (cloudy, rainy, or snowy). If a session is cancelled by about 7pm, it will be posted on the UK Observatory schedule page (and recorded at 257-5330)
Has my session been cancelled?


CHECK THIS PAGE BEFORE YOU LEAVE FOR YOUR OBSERVING SESSION TO MAKE SURE IT HASN'T BEEN CANCELLED! If the session is cancelled by about 7pm on its scheduled day, then you can find out by selecting the link above. However, please note that a green light from this website schedule does not guarantee that the sessions will not be cancelled. It's always possible that clouds will move in later, after the stuff have arrived at the observatory or after they have left their offices. In that case, the sessions will have to be cancelled on the spot. We apologize when this happens, but there's little we can do about it - we can't see the stars when it's cloudy!

As a student in this course, you will have the opportunity to use the observing deck facilities at UK Observatory. The observatory is located on campus on top of the parking structure #2 at Rose street (check the maps).


Nighttime observing is not a requirement for this course, but it is an excellent opportunity to look through a large telescope, learn some constellations, and get an extra credit for the class. In order to earn extra credit, you must BRING A PEN AND PAPER to the observing session and keep a record of what you do. For example, list and describe the objects you saw through the telescope and which constellations you identified. There must be at least three separate items on your list and they must be specific. YOUR OBSERVING REPORT MUST BE HANDED IN BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE OBSERVATORY! Late reports won't be accepted. If you write a good report, you will receive two points extra credit toward your final grade (based on a scale of 100 points). Less satisfactory reports may receive one point.


Unfortunately, only about 15 people can be on the observing deck at one time. This means that you will have to sign up ahead of time before you attend a nighttime observing session so we can limit the turnout. Our class is scheduled on the following nights:


OBSERVING SCHEDULE FOR AST191 SECTIONS 1 and 2


Each observing night will include three one-hour sessions. There will be sign-up sheets for each session available before and after the lecture on 1/28 so you can choose the date and time you wish to show up. Alternatively, you can come to the TA's office during office hours and sign up then. There will only be 15 spaces available each observing session (3 sessions per night) so if you want your pick of dates and times, sign up early, before they fill up! Don't wait until the semester is half over because you may find that all the rest of the sessions are full and you'll miss out on the extra credit (and the experience!).

CANCELLATIONS: We can't look at the stars if its raining out! If the weather is bad (rainy, snowy, overcast...) then we will likely cancel the night's observing sessions. We will make a decision on the weather outlook by 7pm on the day of the session and we will post our decision here. ALWAYS CHECK THIS WEB PAGE BEFORE YOU LEAVE FOR AN OBSERVING SESSION SO YOU WILL KNOW IF IT HAS BEEN CANCELLED! If a session has been cancelled for any reason you cannot earn extra credit for it. However, you will be allowed to reschedule and sign up for a later session (unless it is the last one of the semester).


Because of the limited availability and capacity of the observatory, YOU MAY ONLY SIGN UP FOR A MAXIMUM OF THREE OBSERVING SESSIONS. You are welcome attend additional observing sessions if there are openings but you can only earn a maximum of six points extra credit (two per session). Furthermore, your three observing sessions must be on different nights in order for you to earn extra credit for all of them.


Choose your three nights wisely! The moon is fun to look at through a telescope, but when the moon is bright it's difficult to see other objects in the sky. You'll maximize your experience if you attend one observing session with a bright moon and one with a dark sky. The viewing conditions for each observing night are listed on the schedule above.


Since this is a course on the Solar System, we're especially interested in observing the planets. However, not all of them will be observable during the nighttime sessions. For example, at the beginning of the semester, Mars is visible in the evening but the three most impressive planets as viewed through a telescope, Saturn appears after 9pm, and Venus and Jupiter are seen before sunrise.


I emphasize again: SIGN UP EARLY!. Here are three good reasons not to put off your observing sessions until the end of the semester:
  1. The last few sessions will probably fill up. If you wait to sign up, there may not be any spaces left.
  2. It is not uncommon for sessions to be cancelled because of bad weather. If this happens early in the term, you will be able to reschedule and attend a later session.
  3. The earliest sessions will probably have fewer people so we'll be able to do more. Shorter lines for telescope viewing means you'll be able to view more objects and spend more time on each one.
You are allowed three observing sessions but these are not "guaranteed". If you wait and sign up for the last three sessions and they're both rained out then you're out of luck: you won't get to go to the observatory and you won't get any extra credit.