Denison University astronomer Sandy Yorka, associate professor emerita of physics, will host the first of three summer Swasey Observatory open houses beginning at 9 p.m. on Saturday (July 8). The evening program will begin with a short discussion about the moon. Yorka will be assisted by Denison alumnus James A. Rutherford, a resident of New Albany.

Denison's Swasey Observatory opened in 1910. If skies are clear, visitors will use the Warner & Swasey 9" refracting telescope in the observatory's dome and an 8" telescope set up at ground level. The telescopes will be accessible until 11 p.m.

Visitors will be able to learn more about other astronomical topics at two other observatory open houses planned for later in the summer: On July 20 an open house is set for observation of a comet, the LINEAR (discovered by MIT's Lincoln Lab Near Earth Asteroid Research team), which has been observable with the naked eye. On August 11 an open house is set to view the Perseid meteor shower. Each open house will include a discussion session starting at 9 p.m.

About Denison:

Denison University, founded in 1831, is an independent, residential liberal arts institution located in Granville, Ohio. A highly selective college enrolling 2,100 full-time undergraduate students from all 50 states and dozens of foreign countries, Denison is a place where innovative faculty and motivated students collaborate in rigorous scholarship, civic engagement and the cultivation of independent thinking.

For press inquiries:

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