Astronomy Night - Through the Rings and Beyond

Name: Astronomy Night - Through the Rings and Beyond
Start: 2025-09-20T20:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-09-20T22:00:00-05:00
Location: 830 Everett Blvd, Union City, TN, United States, Tennessee 38261

Schedule

Sat Sep 20 2025 at 08:00 pm to 10:00 pm

UTC-05:00

Location

830 Everett Blvd, Union City, TN, United States, Tennessee 38261 | Union City, TN

Join Dr. Lionel Crews from the University of Tennessee at Martin Astronomy Department and the Discovery Park education team for a night of discovery on Saturday, Sept. 20, as we explore the Saturn/Neptune opposition. Guests will look through the rings of Saturn and beyond to Neptune, a planet so distant it cannot be seen without the help of a telescope. Both planets will be near opposition, making them some of the best sights in the night sky. Saturn will shine with its famous rings, while Neptune offers a rare chance to see a world that most people have never viewed.
The word planet comes from the Greek word planetai, which means "wanderer." To ancient peoples, planets were stars that didn't stay fixed among the constellations. The best time to view a planet is during opposition, when the planet is at peak altitude at midnight and is closest to the Earth in its orbit, thus biggest and brightest to us. Two planets will be near opposition in September, Saturn and Neptune. Both are amazing targets for viewing as Saturn is so visually striking with beautiful rings, and Neptune is not visible to the unaided eye thus most people have never seen it. Come to Discovery Park to view these wanderers in the sky!
This month’s FREE event will be located next to the Hobbs Drug Store on from 8-10 p.m. Please follow the signs and enter through the South gate. Parking will be available in the employee lot behind the Drug Store.
There are 3 remaining Astronomy Night programs in 2025. Anyone who attends five or more of these events in the calendar year and completes our special training will receive a unique patch to commemorate the year’s astronomical events. Don't forget to bring your passports.