Citizen Portal
Sign In

Cochise College invites public to January star party, highlights telescopes and astronomy outreach

KWCD First Watch (radio) · January 16, 2026

Loading...

AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

Cochise College will host a free public star party Jan. 21 at 6:30 p.m. on the college lawn, with multiple telescopes, hot cocoa and student volunteers; organizers recommended Huachuca Astronomy Club and Patterson Observatory for more events.

Dr. Chad Davies, physics and astronomy instructor at Cochise College, and Thomas Gitzlaff, dean of math and science, invited residents to a free star party on the college lawn on Jan. 21, starting at 6:30 p.m. "Anybody's welcome to come out. Families, it's open to the public, free of charge," Davies said.

Organizers said they will have several portable telescopes operated by students and volunteers and that Jupiter will be a highlight. Davies explained the college will use Dobsonian-style telescopes, and that the department recently acquired a historic instrument with a 13.1‑inch mirror. He encouraged attendees to visit Patterson Observatory events and the Huachuca Astronomy Club for additional viewing opportunities.

The outreach is part of a monthly schedule of star parties across Cochise College campuses: the Benson center in February, Wilcox in March and the Douglas campus in April. Davies and Gitzlaff said the events are intended to be educational and family friendly, with hot cocoa and guided sky tours by students.