August 30, 2024 2:50 a.m.

The Paul Morgan Observatory at Umpqua Community College is having a public stargazing event on Friday night.

Knight Jarecki has the details: “Knight” Q: News Radio 93-9 FM and 1240 KQEN

Astronomy Professor Dr. Paul Morgan said a 2-hour tour of the galaxy and beyond will be offered. Morgan said attendees will get to look at 46 Messier objects including galaxies, nebula and star clusters. These objects were compiled in a unique sky catalog by French astronomer Charles Messier at about the time of the American Revolution.

Messier invented the idea of hunting for comets with a telescope and found fuzzy things that hunters like him could mistake for a distant comet. His list is now a famous collection of beautiful nebula, bright star clusters and galaxies that many astronomers spend years tracking down.

Morgan said this will be an amazing display of the observatory’s telescope and cameras to sweep from object to object in a precise sequence.

The event will begin at 8:30 p.m. Attendees should park in the lower lot at the Technology Center and walk uphill. Limited handicapped parking is available at the top of the hill. Admission is free.

The Paul Morgan Observatory is the only all-digital observatory in the Pacific Northwest. More information about it is at: https://umpqua.edu/about/our-campus/campus-facilities/observatory/