2009 is the International Year of Astronomy, as designated by UNESCO and the International Astronomical Union. The goal is to help citizens of the world rediscover their place in the Universe by observing the sky and engaging them in a personal sense of wonder and discovery.  Observatories through out the world are asked to open their doors to the general public for 100 Hours of Astronomy events in April. The UCI Observatory will hold Visitor Nights at the Observatory for the public on three consecutive nights:

• Friday, April 3, 7-9 pm, Lecture: "Planets: Near and Far" by Erik Tollerud
  
• Saturday, April 4, 7-9 pm, Lecture: "The Birth, Life and Death of Stars" by Michael Hood
• Sunday, April 5, 7-9 pm, Lecture: "Galaxies: To Infinity and Beyond" by Carol Thornton
  

Our Visitor Nights are open to the general public with no reservations required and no entrance fee, although parking on campus is $7. Visitor Nights are fun for the whole family and children of all ages are welcome. Numerous 8" to 24" telescopes will be set up so people can view Saturn, star clusters and nebulae. A short lecture on a different topic each night will be given at night at 7 and repeated at 8 pm.

Please see our website at http://www.physics.uci.edu/~observat for more information on Visitor Nights and to subscribe to the UCI Observatory email list. For more information about the International Year of Astronomy, see http://www.astronomy2009.org.