News : Vinton's Big Read takes a trip to Dows Observatory

As part of Vinton's Big Read, the Vinton Public Library recently partnered with Benton County Conservation for a fascinating trip to the Dows Observatory in Palisades-Kepler State Park. Over 25 area residents including Boy Scout Troop 47 listened to a presentation hosted by the Cedar Amateur Astronomers. We learned about the Rubin Observatory being built in the Elqui Province in Chile and saw a sneak peek of the images that this new telescope has captured. The Observatory is named after Vera C. Rubin, a noteworthy American astronomer who has contributed greatly to the field of astronomy.

Following the presentation, the sky was too overcast for live viewing, but we toured the observatory and saw first-hand the instruments the Cedar Amateur Astronomers use in our area.

For more information on Cedar Amateur Astronomers, visit https://cedar-astronomers.org/.

For more information on the Rubin Observatory, visit https://rubinobservatory.org.

NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.