MOORPARK : Observatory Offers Night-Sky Programs

Moorpark may not be a match for Los Angeles in most types of weekend entertainment, but it wins hands down in stargazing, according to one local astronomer.

Beginning this weekend, the Moorpark College Observatory is presenting a monthly Sunday night astronomy program this summer. The first event, billed as “Mid-Summer Evening Skies,” will begin at 8:30 p.m. July 7 at the campus observatory.

The Moorpark College Observatory has two important advantages over Los Angeles’ well-known Griffith Park Observatory, said Harold Jandorf, an astronomy instructor at Moorpark College.

First, there are fewer city lights.

“What’s really nice is the sky in Moorpark is usually very dark,” Jandorf said.

“You can see things you can’t see at the Griffith Park Observatory.”

In addition, visitors to the Moorpark College Observatory can gaze at the stars either through an opening in the observatory’s dome or by stepping outside to the small open-air amphitheater.

“So it’s not like a fake planetarium,” Jandorf said. “It’s the real sky that we use.”

He knows of no other observatory with an outdoor amphitheater such as Moorpark’s, Jandorf said.

On Sunday, visitors to the Moorpark College Observatory will first watch a slide show on a large screen to learn how to recognize three seasonal constellations that are now visible: Hercules, Scorpius and Draco the Dragon. On a clear night, visitors can then view the constellations in the sky, with and without the college’s telescopes.

Jandorf recommends bringing a pair of binoculars to enhance the viewing without a telescope.

The cost for Sunday’s program is $5.