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Show Ashcroft Observatory SUSC star show held over CEDAR CITY 'Copernicus: The Timid Canon" is being held over a second month at Southern Utah State College's Ashcroft Observatory. Ob-servatory. Showtime, however, has been changed because of daylight-saving time. Programs will be each Monday and Friday evening at 9 p.m., according ac-cording to Merrill R. Jones.observatory director. Regularly scheduled programs are free to the public. Special group showings can be arranged by calling 586-7900. 586-7900. A minimal fee is charged for the special programs. "Copernicus: The Timid Canon" deals with the life of the Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus who lived from 1473 to 1543. The slideshow-musical presentation centers around the development of the Copernican System, the then revolutionary theory that the earth rotates on its axis and, with the other planets in the solar system, revolves around the sun. "Before Copernicus, people thought that the earth was the center of the universe, and that all planets and stars evolved around it," Jones said. Along with the slide-show slide-show presentation, observatory ob-servatory visitors will have the opportunity to look into the May skies through the facility's 14-inch 14-inch Muskatov telescope, donated to the college several years ago by long-time SUSC librarian Eulalia B. Jones. Construction of the Ashcroft Observatory began in October 1977 with dedication ceremonies on Sept. 26, 1980. It was built, largely through donations, in honor of Theron M. Ashcroft, Ash-croft, professor of physics and engineering at SUSC from 1939 to 1970. Professor Ashcroft was instrumental in development of SUSC's first astronomy program. "Tycho Brahe: The Observer" is the. program for June, Jones said. |