Got plans for National Astronony Day?

Connecticut College will celebrate National Astronomy Day by providing the public with binocular and telescopic views of the night sky tonight from 7:30 to 10 at the Olin Observatory in Olin Science Center.

The free event is open to astronomy enthusiasts of all ages. Highlights of the evening include talks by guest speakers, hands-on activities for children, and views of the moon, Orion nebula, and three planets - Venus, Mars and Saturn, weather permitting.

Liz Jordan, lecturer at the Treworgy Planetarium at Mystic Seaport and member of the Thames Amateur Astronomical Society, will give a talk titled, "The Stormy Sun: How Solar Weather Affects Earth," at 7:30 p.m. and again at 8:45 p.m.

Guest speaker Lorraine Allen, professor of physics at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, will present, "Fast and Furious: Heating and Acceleration of the Solar Wind," at 8 and 9 p.m.