March Moon Madness at Observatory

Westmont’s powerful Keck Telescope will be the focus of attention for Central Coast stargazers Friday, March 18, beginning at 7:30 p.m. The observatory opens its doors to the public every third Friday of the month, however, four of the last five public viewings have been canceled due to inclement weather. The free viewings are held in conjunction with the Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit, whose members bring their own telescopes to Westmont for the public to gaze through.

Although a nearly full moon is on tap for the evening, Thomas Whittemore, Westmont physics instructor, says he plans to orient the Keck Telescope toward parts of the sky that aren’t greatly affected by its light. One of those objects is M42, the Great Orion Nebula, which is a stellar nursery about 1,400 light years away. “That means the light we are seeing comes to us from about the year 600,” Whittemore says. “In the year 600, the population of earth was about 208 million, the Persians began using windmills for irrigation and Pope Gregory codified what is now known as Gregorian chant.”

The viewing, which lasts for several hours, may also feature a variety of open clusters in the constellations Canis Major (the big dog), Puppis (the stern), Gemini (the twins) and Perseus (the hero).

Whittemore, an alumnus of Purdue University who earned a doctorate in physics from the University of Arizona, suggests we look to the west just after sunset for a pairing of the planets Jupiter and Mercury. “Mercury, the dimmer of the two objects, will lie above and to the right of Jupiter,” he says. “Although these are too low in the sky for the telescopes, they are nevertheless wonderful objects to see with the naked eye.”

Free parking is available near Carr Field, home of the Warriors baseball team.