Calling all star-gazers!

Two events in the next week at Peck Farm Park in Geneva will open your eyes not only to the supernova of 1987 and a present-day mission to Saturn but to the secrets of the universe itself.

Hype? Maybe, but the topics of these two events, and the quality of the speakers, is a little mind-blowing.

The Fox Valley Astronomical Society is hosting the events in conjunction with the Geneva Park District in the Orientation Barn of Peck Farm Park, located at 4038 Kaneville Road in Geneva.

The first event is a Public Astronomy Lecture and Star Party, which will be held at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 6, and will occur no matter the weather, on the topic of the Supernova of 1987. If sky conditions allow, following the lecture, there will be an observing session from the parking lot.

Two days later, at 7:30 p.m. Monday, May 8, Michelle Nichols, master astronomy educator from the Adler Planetarium, will be presenting a lecture on the current phase of the Cassini Mission to Saturn.

Over the past few weeks, the orbit of the Cassini space probe, which has been studying Saturn, its rings, and its moons since 2005, was modified so that the spacecraft could dive in between the body of the planet and the ring system. In this exciting talk, Nichols will review the history of the mission, the discoveries it has made since being launched in 1997, and the preliminary results of the last few weeks’ experiments.

All members of the public are welcome and both the lecture and the observing session are free.

About the FVAS

The FVAS has been serving the Fox Valley region as a public, non-for-profit organization since 1944. It is a member of the International Dark Sky Association and is dedicated to the enjoyment of astronomy and the education of the public. Info at WWW.FVASIL.ORG