Stargazing at Westmont Celestial Showcase Includes Jupiter’s Red Spot

Mercury and Saturn are expected to make an appearance at this month’s free stargazing event Friday, Feb. 20, beginning at 6:30 p.m. and lasting several hours at the Westmont Observatory.

“The moon will also be up in its waxing crescent phase,” says Jennifer Gee, an assistant professor of physics who directs the observatory. “Otherwise, throughout the night, we will get to see some old friends, namely Jupiter and Orion. As the night goes on, we might get to see Mizar and Alcor in Ursa Major (the big dipper).”

She says Jupiter rotates once every 10 hours. “So, I'd like to think the odds of us seeing its red spot through a telescope at some point during these open viewings are good,” Gee says. “Maybe it'll happen on Friday! My crystal ball (aka Stellarium) predicts it to be visible around 9 p.m. Come and find out if my software is correct!”

Along with the college’s powerful Keck Telescope, members of the Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit bring their telescopes to share with the public on the third Friday of every month.

In case of cloudy weather, please call the Telescope Viewing Hotline at (805) 565-6272 and check the observatory website to see if the viewing has been canceled.