Astronomy Club meeting Thursday night at RecPlex

Ponca City astronomy is crawling out of hibernation and will be holding monthly meetings in the Art Studio at the Ponca City RecPlex, starting Feb. 13.

The meetings are free and open to the public each month on the second Thursday of the month with a “Meet and Greet” at 6:30 p.m. and a meeting starting at 7 p.m.

“One of the goals of Ponca City Astronomy is to provide entertaining and educational programs for our members as well as the community,” said Richard Jones, founder of the group.

Tonight’s program is “The Constellations and Their Stars” from a course titled “Our Night Sky,” conducted by Professor Edward Murphy.

“This is a Great Courses program which we will be conducting at our meetings through the Spring,” Jones said.

The next meeting will be held on March 12.

“Our slogan is ‘Sharing the Universe with our Community,’ which we accomplish with a monthly meeting as well as a monthly “Sidewalk Astronomy Event” where we set up our telescopes for the community to come view objects of opportunity in the night sky,” Jones said. “This event is held on the sidewalk out front of the Ponca City RecPlex. The ‘Sidewalk Astronomy Event’ is scheduled around the Friday of the First Quarter Moon. Check with the desk in the Ponca City RecPlex for the next event. Our first event will be April 3, 2020, starting about 7 p.m. The event is dependent on the weather, of course, as you can’t see anything through the clouds.”

You are encouraged to bring family and friends to our meetings.