NEW ALBANY, IN, (March 16, 2013) – The School of Natural Sciences will be hosting viewings of the comet PanSTARRS from Friday, March 15 through Saturday March 23. 

The viewings are free and open to the public and will take place in the IU Southeast Observatory South each night at dusk.

Comet PanSTARRS has recently become visible to the Northern Hemisphere, and is the second comet to be visible this year. There is also another comet, Comet ISON, expected to be visible in November. The number of comets that are visible to the naked eye each year ranges from about one to three.

Star gazers and comet-watchers everywhere are excited for this, including students at IU Southeast.

“I feel that we as students are lucky to have the opportunity to check out this phenomenon,” Dejan Tomanic, a junior political science major said. “It’s a great time to be watching the skies.”

There will be astronomical binoculars available. For more information, people can call Professor of Geosciences Gerald Ruth at (812) 941-2286.