Good news for space fanatics

The moon will receive special attention Saturday as space enthusiasts across the globe will pause to appreciate Earth’s crater-covered partner.

The San Antonio League of Sidewalk Astronomers will host the third annual “International Observe the Moon Night” 7 p.m. - 10 p.m. Saturday at McAllister Park, 13102 Jones Maltsberger Road.

Organizers of the event state online that they “hope to instill in the public a sense of wonderment and curiosity about our moon.”

Members of the league often set up telescopes in Lot 21 west of Scobee Planetarium to allow visitors to view features of the night sky each month during Friday night showings in South Texas’ only planetarium.

They also do so for special celestial and planetary events, though during construction of the Challenger Center and renovations of the planetarium, events will be elsewhere.

While much is known about the moon, astronomy Professor Roger Stanley said scientists remain interested in researching certain aspects.

“They like to study the interior of the moon,” he said.

He said scientists also are interested in determining how much ice the moon holds.

Stanley said telescopes aren’t required to observe some of the moon’s features. “Without anything, you can always see the craters on the moon.”

He said escaping city light pollution shouldn’t necessarily be a concern.

“The moon doesn’t really matter as far as going outside the city,” he said.

Bryan Tobias of the San Antonio League of Sidewalk Astronomers said the moon has many interesting aspects to observe.

“I particularly like looking at the mountain ranges,” Tobias said. “A lot of mountain ranges are higher and bigger than they are on Earth.”

The event is scheduled just weeks after the Aug. 25 passing of Neil Armstrong, who inspired millions worldwide when on July 20, 1969, he became the first person to set foot on the surface of the moon.

For more information, visit www.salsa-astro.com.