Nighttime view of telescopes on the roof of Davey Lab at Penn State's University Park campus. Photo: Penn State

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Penn State's annual AstroFest will offer four nights of free astronomy activities and stargazing coinciding with the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts.

From 8:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, visitors of all ages are welcomed at the event on the fifth floor of Davey Lab off Pollock Road on the University Park campus.

Rooftop observing will occur as weather permits. On clear nights telescopes on the roof of the building will be open to view the stars and planets.

"The rings of Saturn and the moons of Jupiter are so vivid, people often ask if we have painted them on the end of the telescope," said Jane Charlton, a professor in the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics and the founding organizer ofAstroFest, in a release. "It is so rewarding to see the looks on people's faces when they first see their favorite planets in such amazing detail."

In front of the lab, attendees can launch bottle rockets, watch sound waves converted to fire and electricity and experience walking across a simulated alien planet surface. In the lobby of Davey Lab, kids can pick up an AstroFest activity passport and after receiving stamps on the passports for the activities they attend can collect science-themed prizes.

On the fifth floor activity stations such as "make your own comet," a quiz to win astronomy posters, and "astrogami" postcard designing. The Finding Planets lab offers an exploration of how astronomers look for planets beyond our solar system, and five-minute tours of a scale model of the solar system and the evolution of the universe will be available.

Presentations will be held each night as well, with topics such as detection of gravitational waves, dark energy and the upcoming solar eclipse.

"Solar eclipses have captured the imagination of humans for millennia. All of us here are thrilled to be havingAstroFestthis year right before an eclipse of our own," said Chris Palma, senior lecturer in astronomy and astrophysics and co-coordinator ofAstroFest.

Read more here:

Stargazing, Astronomy Activities Highlight AstroFest - State College News