Astronomy Open House at Penn State Behrend: "New Planets Near and Far" April 13, 2011

“New Planets Near and Far” will be the topic of the next Open House Night in Astronomy presentation at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College.

On Wednesday, April 13, Dr. Darren Williams, associate professor of physics and astronomy, will discuss planet-finding techniques and the characteristics of some recently discovered planets. The presentation takes place at 7 p.m. in 101 Otto Behrend Science Building; astronomical observing from Mehalso Observatory will follow, weather permitting.

“Even though Earth resides in the boondocks of the Milky Way, there apparently are thousands of planets sharing our space,” Williams says. “The number of known extrasolar planets just keeps growing.”

Open House Nights in Astronomy, nontechnical presentations appropriate for ages 8 and older, are a public outreach program of Penn State Behrend’s School of Science. For more information, contact the school at 814-898-6105.