By Brianna Hobson
Rooftop Observatory at Gallalee Hall.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama’s astronomy group hosts a Lord of the Rings themed public night for Tuscaloosa residents to learn more about astronomy on the rooftop of Gallalee Hall.
University of Alabama’s Public Nights is a free monthly event open to the public where people are welcome to view the sky using UA facilities.
The lecture was a brief overview of The Large Hadron Collider (LHC), “which is the world’s largest and most powerful particle accelerator,” said Acharya. It is located 100 meters underground in CERN, a nuclear research laboratory near Geneva. The LHC is 27 kilometers in length and contains a complex system of mechanics to create particle beam collisions
“The energy density and temperature that are produced in the collisions at the LHC are similar to those that existed a few moments after the Big Bang. In this way physicists hope to better understand how the universe evolved.” CERN FAQ sheet explains.
After the lecture, everyone was directed to the rooftop observatory on top of Gallalee Hall. Dr. Jimmy Irwin, a professor in the department of physics and astronomy, adjusted the telescope to point to Venus, since it was the first planet to disappear from view based on the direction Earth was facing on March 29th.
“I became interested in astronomy around 14 and I did it by going to the library to read books about it,” Dr. Irwin said. “If you don’t have a telescope you can also go outside and look for meteor showers on the right night and count meteors and shooting stars across the sky.”
Everyone had the opportunity to view Venus through the telescope, and many people were buzzing about what they saw. The crowd size and age range vary greatly. Not only did students attend, but also adults, elderly, and children.
A lot of people that attend this event have never had the opportunity to view the sky in detail due to lack of equipment. This event has not only shown Tuscaloosa residents what the sky around them looks like but has surprised them as well.
“I enjoy people who look in the telescope and go wow! Because you never know what they are going to expect,” said Dr. Irwin. “Most people they never get to look through a telescope. It’s fantastic when they say wow, I didn’t think I could ever see that.”