Observe the Moon With the Rest of the World At Pretlow Planetarium

September 10, 2015

Old Dominion University's Pretlow Planetarium will host a celebration focused on the Earth's nearest heavenly body on Saturday, Sept. 19, as part of International Observe the Moon Night.

From 7-9 p.m., Planetarium staff will provide telescopes for observing the moon, liquid nitrogen will be served and there will be other family-friendly activities.

"Saturday's event is part of a worldwide celebration for sky watchers and astronomy fans. We are excited to participate," said Pretlow Planetarium manager Justin Mason.

International Observe the Moon Night (InOMN) is an annual event that encourages observation, appreciation and understanding of our moon and its connection to NASA planetary science and exploration. Everyone on Earth is invited to join the celebration by hosting or attending an InOMN event - and uniting on one day each year to look at and learn about the moon.

For more information about InOMN, and for a list of participating events worldwide, see the International Observe the Moon Night Website.

InOMN is sponsored by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, NASA's Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute and the Lunar and Planetary Institute.

Old Dominion's planetarium was named for Mary Denson Pretlow at the request of the anonymous donor who presented the University with the funds to build the facility.

The University's Board of Visitors named the structure after Pretlow who served for 30 years (1917-1947) as head of the Norfolk Public Library and was a distinguished historian.

The 40-foot domed planetarium is used by introductory astronomy classes which were first implemented at Old Dominion University by the late C.S. Sherwood, III. The planetarium utilizes a fully digital projector--the Digitarium Epsilon system, and features 5.1 surround audio.

For information about International Observe the Moon Night at ODU, contact Mason at jrmason@odu.edu.