SALT LAKE ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY NEWS RELEASE August public events: star parties, general meeting Aug. 10, 2017 Free public events that the Salt Lake Astronomical Societyhas scheduled for August promise to be of singular interest, as objects rangingfrom the spooky Ring Nebula to glorious star clusters are in prime viewingposition. In addition, the new Clements Telescope, the world’s largest amateurvisual ‘scope, will offer amazing views, including colors of outer-spaceobjects. Ordinary-size telescopes lack the light-gathering power to show color,but with the Clements, visitors can see yellow-gold Saturn, orange in Jupiter’satmosphere and red giant stars in globular star clusters like M-13. SLAS members also announce a new policy that should be welcomedby anyone who has a telescope and isn’t quite sure how to set it up or findcelestial objects with it. Those with questions can arrive at any public starparty one hour prior to sunset, and knowledgeable, experienced amateurastronomers with the group will be glad to explain and help with the equipment. Events to which the public is invited this month include: ** Friday, Aug. 11, a star party at Wheeler Farm, 6351 S.900 East, Salt Lake County, dusk until 11 p.m. ** Saturday, Aug. 12, a star party at the group’s StansburyPark Observatory Complex (SPOC), Tooele County, featuring four of the mostsophisticated publicly-accessible telescopes in Utah. The king of them all isthe 35-foot-long Clements Telescope, which was recently installed in its newhome at SPOC, the Kolob Observatory. The session is from dusk until 11 p.m. SPOC is about 30 miles west of Salt Lake City. From Utah’scapital, take I-80 west, then turn off at Exit 99, the Tooele-Grantsville exit,going south on Highway 36. Turn right at the third traffic signal ontoStansbury Parkway. Travel west on the Parkway until the sign in the centermedian labeled “Plaza.” Turn left at the plaza and park in a lot adjacent tothe skateboard park. The observatory, with its white dome, is to the right. Many members of the group set up their own telescopes forvisitors’ enjoyment at star shows, and will explain the surprising views seenthrough the eyepieces. All star parties are family-friendly, and are only heldwhen the weather allows. ** The SLAS monthly general meeting, at which Brigham YoungUniversity astronomer Michael Joner will discuss exoplanets – planets orbitingdistant stars – that he and other team members at BYU discovered. These fascinatingand exotic objects are many light-years from Earth. To hear a planet-discoverertell how it was done will be a treat long cherished by all present. The meeting is scheduled for the Rampton Building, SaltLake Community College Redwood-Taylorsville campus, near 4600 S. Redwood Road,northeast corner of the campus, 7:30 to 9 p.m. The public is welcome and freeparking is available east of the building in the Q lot. Also at the meeting, the club will offer a limited supplyof safe eclipse-viewing glasses at $1 a pair. Nobody should look at the partial phase of a solar eclipsewithout the proper protective glasses, and nobody should use a telescope orbinoculars at such times to see the sun without the correct solar filters. ** Thursday, Aug. 24, a special star party is slated for JordanelleState Park, Hailstone Event Center, dusk until 11 p.m. SLAS Secretary-TreasurerRodger Fry will guide watchers through an astronomical power-point presentation.The park is located in Heber Valley, Wasatch County. -30- For further information, call Joe Bauman, SLAS vice president,801-913-3588. Note to media members: if this release reaches the wrong desk,could you please forward it to the right person or persons? Thanks, Joe