The planet Saturn is making its closest approach to Earth and the Delta College Planetarium is giving the public a chance to see it through telescopes. On Friday, July 13 at 8:30 pm, Planetarium Manager Mike Murray will present a program called “Gateway to the Stars” in the Dome360 Theatre to illustrate astronomical highlights in the current evening sky. The main focus of the show will be the ringed planet Saturn and how to observe it with binoculars and telescopes. The program is free and open to all ages.

At 10 pm (weather permitting), the planetarium will open up its rooftop observation deck so viewers can get a close up view of the most recognizable planets in our solar system. A variety of telescopes will be set up by Planetarium staff and members of the Sunset Astronomical Society so viewers can get a variety of looks at Saturn, as well as other planets currently visible like Jupiter and Venus. If the skies are cloudy, the 8:30 pm show will run as scheduled and staff will provide some extra Q&A time in the dome theater.

“Even though Saturn is twice as far away as Jupiter, it still shines as a moderately bright star with a steady light,” explains Mike Murray, Planetarium Manager. “It takes a magnifying power of only thirty times to resolve the rings separately from the planet, and we have telescopes that can do considerably better than that! With good viewing conditions, we should be able to see a multitude of moons and even the gap in Saturn’s rings called The Cassini Division,” Murray added.

The sky observing portion of the event is weather dependent but the Planetarium show will run rain or shine. Both the show and observing are free and all ages are welcome.

To learn more about other shows and events at the Planetarium, go to www.delta.edu/planet or call 989-667-2260. The Delta College Planetarium and Learning Center is located in downtown Bay City at 100 Center Avenue.