JEFFERSON CITY, MO, AUG. 22, 2022 – Did you know that a day on Venus equals 243 Earth days? Or that a giant storm in Jupiter’s atmosphere has been raging at least 300 years? Join Dr. Robert Sadler, emeritus professor of physical science at Culver-Stockton College, Canton, as he presents a multimedia talk about the eight planets in our solar system and some of their more interesting moons. The program begins at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 26, at Wakonda State Park.
Topics covered include the planets’ interiors, their atmospheres and their histories. He will discuss the spacecraft that have visited the different planets and other interesting facts. For example, on Saturn’s moon, Titan, it rains liquid methane and the biggest volcano in the solar system is on Mars.
Sadler will also discuss the planetary orbits and the best ways to view the planets with telescopes, binoculars and the naked eye. Weather permitting, attendees will have an opportunity to view Saturn and its rings and (possibly) Jupiter and four of its moons through a small telescope. Sadler will also suggest some informative resources, such as websites, free computer software and phone apps that will allow participants to investigate planetary bodies on their own.
Wakonda State Park is located 3 miles south of LaGrange on U.S. Highway 61. For more information, please call 573-655-2280.
For more information on state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.