Stargazers are in for a treat this Friday. The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada is hosting a special astronomy event at SFU's Burnaby campus to see two relatively rare events: a triple eclipse on Jupiter and the Comet Lovejoy.
"It's a rare astronomical event," said Jennifer Kirkey, a physics and astronomy instructor at Douglas College in New Westminster. "It's fabulous to be able to see it."
Lovejoy was discovered in 2011 and won't come around for another couple of thousand years, according to Kirkey. It's considered one of the "great" comets that only come around once or twice in a lifetime.
The other key event is a triple eclipse on Jupiter, when all four of the planet's largest moons will be visible, and three will be casting shadows on the surface.
"Jupiter is always fabulous to look at. It's the brightest thing in the sky," Kirkey said, adding it's often mistaken for an airplane.
The triple eclipse should be visible from 10:28 until 10:52 p.m. The next one is expected in 2032. Because Jupiter is so massive, the moons only cast small shadows on the planet's surface. The fourth Galileo moon will also be visible.
Galileo Galilei was the first to discover Jupiter's four largest moons, hence the name, and they were a major indicator that the universe did not revolve around Earth.
On Friday, there will be 10 to 20 telescopes set up for the public to look through, and Kirkey will be there manning one of them.
The star gazing party runs from 8 until 11:45 p.m. by the pedestrian path leading to the Trottier Observatory on SFU's Burnaby campus, just west of the upper bus loop. For a precise map, go to RASC's Meetup page at www.meetup.com/astronomy-131.
Visit www.sfu.ca/starrynights to make sure the event is still on, as it is weather dependent, and Friday's forecast calls for rain.
