TUSCALOOSA, Ala. –The University of Alabama’s astronomy department will hold a free public sky viewing of the Moon, Mars and Saturn on Friday, Dec. 5 beginning at 7 p.m. Dr. Philip Hardee, professor of astronomy, will host the event. Guests will look through the refracting telescope in the dome of Gallalee Hall. Mars and the Moon will be viewable immediately, but Saturn will not show up until about 9 p.m. This is the last Public Nights viewing of the fall semester.

Mars will appear much smaller than during its closest approach in late August. Its south polar cap has nearly disappeared as a result of the planet’s changing seasons. The Moon will appear very bright in the sky. Though it is not quite a full moon, it should provide a better viewing opportunity than in previous Public Nights. Saturn and its rings will look like a perfectly painted little tiny image inside the telescope, according to Hardee.

Gallalee Hall is located on the UA campus near the intersection of Hackberry Lane and University Boulevard in Tuscaloosa. Contact UA’s department of physics and astronomy at 205/348-5050 to check on sky conditions and for more information.

UA’s department of physics and astronomy is housed in the College of Arts and Sciences, the University’s largest division and the largest public liberal arts college in the state, with approximately 5,500 undergraduates and 1,000 graduate students. The College has received national recognition for academic excellence, and the College’s students have been selected for many of the nation’s top academic honors, including 13 Rhodes Scholarships, 14 Goldwater Scholarships, seven Truman Scholarships, and 15 memberships on USA Today’s Academic All-American teams.