Barstow, CA – “The Great Orion Nebula is a magnificent cloud of gas and dust around 1,300 light years from Earth . . . It is a nursery for new star formation and is the closest star forming region to Earth.” Scott Bulkley, Professor of Astronomy at Barstow Community College (BCC), continued, “The Orion Nebula also contains the Trapezium start cluster, a tight group of young massive stars that provide much of the nebula’s brightness.”
Prof. Bulkley is preparing for the public viewing of the Orion Nebula at the BCC Observatory. On March 30th at 7:30 p.m. the telescope will be focused on the space just below “Orion’s Belt” in the constellation of Orion. The public is invited to attend the FREE viewing, and “everyone will have a chance to look through the telescope” (weather permitting).
“This is an event that we always look forward to, because we can interact with our neighbors in the community.” Prof. Bulkley observed, “Barstow has always been interested in our local observatory.”
The observatory houses a 16" Schmidt-Cassegrain Reflector Telescope on a permanent Equatorial mount. The magnification used varies between 100x and 1000x depending on the object observed and the viewing conditions.
The College Observatory is located on Veterans Parkway behind the College campus. Parking is available on Veterans Parkway. People are urged to dress warmly since this is an outdoor event that will run from 7:30 p.m. until about 9:00 p.m.
For people interested in more astronomical adventures, BCC offers college level Astronomy classes. There is an online class that starts on March 20th (last day to add is March 24th). Then during the Summer Semester, online classes begin on June 5th. Students who want to spend more time in the observatory can sign up for Fall Semester classes. The Astronomy classes are held during the evening hours so even working adults can participate.
ASTRONOMY (ASTR) classes offered at Barstow Community College
ASTR 1 - INTRODUCTION TO ASTRONOMY – covers the basic principles of astronomy, including motions of the earth, time measurement, the solar system, stellar and galactic phenomena and cosmology, as well as star and constellation identification. (Offered Online, or in the Classroom)
ASTR 1L – OBSERVATIONAL ASTRONOMY – is a laboratory course which examines the major principles of astronomy, and utilizes observations through the telescope to explore the planets and moons of the solar system, stars, nebulas, and galaxies. (Offered in the Classroom/Observatory)
For additional information about the BCC Observatory and the Public Viewing of the Orion Nebula, please contact Professor Bulkley at 760-252-2411, ext. 7301. For more information about the college and its programs, including the Astronomy Classes mentioned in this article, please visit the BCC website:www.barstow.edu
