Space fanatics from around the world will tour the night sky with astronomy experts during a webcast presented by Columbus State University’s Coca-Cola Space Science Center.

“In order to interact with a real telescope, most people have to travel long distances in the dark,” said Shawn Cruzen, director of the Coca-Cola Space Science Center. “Our webcast technology allows viewers to observe live celestial images without ever having to leave home.”

CSU’s Coca-Cola Space Science Center will host the webcast from the WestRock Observatory Friday, Dec. 4 from 10 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. The observatory, located inside the science center, houses a 24-inch PlaneWave CDK telescope that already has captured images of supernovas, nebulas, solar eruptions and even galaxies from more than 30 million light years away.
 
Friday’s webcast will offer a tour of celestial objects in the constellation Orion, a question and answer session, and a drawing for the “Golden Ticket.” Golden Ticket winners will receive a personal three-hour session in the WestRock Observatory. Images captured by the winner will be processed and delivered to the recipient.

To view the webcast, visit http://observatory.ccssc.org/webcast. To submit webcast questions, email [email protected].

“The Internet is dense with information about space, from general space news to modern rocket capabilities and far away galaxies,” Cruzen said. “The amount of knowledge online is actually overwhelming. This webcast’s interactive format gives us a chance to answer specific questions and keep potential students engaged in the space sciences without, well, getting lost in space.”