Jupiter rising above CSU Stanislaus star-gazers

Families can get starstruck Thursday night with a guided visit to the night sky via the California State University, Stanislaus, telescope.

From 7 to 10 p.m., Stanislaus State physics department faculty and students will take viewers on a tour of seasonal planet and star formations with telescopes in a question-and-answer format. Guests will be able to look through the observatory telescope in addition to the smaller telescopes.

Make reservations by calling the Office of Service Learning at 209-667-3311.

The constellation Orion can best be seen at 7 p.m., along with the the stars that make up the winter circle – Sirius, Procyon, Castor, Pollux, Capella, and Rigel – as well as the star Aldebaran, and the star cluster called the Pleiades or Seven Sisters.

At 7 p.m., the Andromeda Galaxy will be in the western sky, but fairly close to the horizon, and will set by 9 p.m.

Around 8 p.m., Jupiter should be visible through the telescope with up to four of its 67 known moons, three on one side of the giant planet and Ganymede on the other.

Moonrise is just before 9 p.m.

The program will be divided into eight 25-minute presentations throughout the evening to accommodate as many people as possible. Guests should check in on the first floor of the Naraghi Hall of Science. Parking will be free for the event in Lot 11 in front of Naraghi Hall.

This story was originally published February 23, 2016 at 1:46 PM with the headline "Jupiter rising above CSU Stanislaus star-gazers."