TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The University of Alabama astronomy department will hold a free public sky viewing of the moon and Saturn on Thursday, Feb. 5, beginning at 7 p.m. with Dr. Philip Hardee, UA professor of astronomy, as host of the event.

Guests will look through the refracting telescope in the dome of Gallalee Hall. This is the first Public Nights viewing of the spring semester.

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.