Doors will open this Friday at 7:30 p.m. for North Georgia College & State University's weekly Observatory-Planetarium Public Education Night.The event will be held in the George E. Coleman Planetarium, room 234 of the Health & Natural Sciences Building, Sunset Drive. The fall semester's Friday night shows started Aug. 20 and continue through Nov. 19.

The hour-long planetarium show, beginning promptly at 8 p.m., consists of a presentation where they produce a simulation of the night sky and present their audience with an opportunity to learn about the basic movements of the planets in our solar system as well as exo-solar planets.

Admission is free, but audience members are encouraged to arrive early because seating is on a first-come,first-served basis.

After the conclusion of the show, the public is also invited to visit the North Georgia College & State University's Observatory located off of state route 9 on Day Drive, four miles west of Dahlonega.

Weather permitting, the public will be able to explore what the Observatory has to offer, including a telescope with a 16-inch-diameter mirror.

"Right now one of the planets that is best to look at in the evening sky is Jupiter," said Joseph Jones, associate professor of physics at NGCSU and director of the planetarium and observatory."

Jupiter usually has two belts that surround it, but over the last year one of its belts has clouded over and appears not to be there."

For additional information contact Joseph Jones at jjones@northgeorgia.edu. or visit the planetarium's website at www.northgeorgia.edu/planetarium. The planetarium also does shows for schools and special groups for those interested.