Star Gazers

I come by my geek cred honestly. As a kid, the planetarium was my favorite place. I dreamed of being an astronaut. My mom and I would watch Star Trek every afternoon at 5 p.m. while shelling peas or snapping beans or some such chore. I read out the Fruita Library, and the librarian had to request new books from the city.

These days I want to be on the couch every Friday night for Battlestar Galactica, and I still get giddy over going to the planetarium. And while I haven’t read through DPL, I’m working on it. Still, the one place I’ve never been is the University of Denver’s Chamberlin Observatory. You know the one: the 1890s domed building that sits so regally in Observatory Park, 2930 East Warren Avenue, near Evans and University.

Well, this evening at 5 p.m., I’ll finally get my chance. The Denver Astronomical Society is throwing open the doors for one of its monthly open houses. Anyone can come and peer out into the universe with the observatory’s twenty-inch-aperture Clark-Saegmuller refractor or get advice on how to use their miniature versions. It’s just $1 per person to get in, and you can reserve a spot at www.thedas.org//Calendar.html. I can’t wait.
Sat., Dec. 2; Sat., Dec. 30; Sat., Jan. 27; Sat., Feb. 24; Sat., March 24; Sat., April 21; Sat., May 26; Thu., June 21; Sat., July 21; Sat., Aug. 18; Sat., Sept. 22; Sat., Oct. 20; Sat., Nov. 17; Sat., Dec. 15, 2006