May 18, 1998 Contact Ross West (541) 346-2060 BEND--Pine Mountain Observatory--weather permitting--will open to the public its 1998 program of adventures in space at 9 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, May 22, 23, and 24. Public programs will be presented at 9 p.m. on subsequent Friday and Saturday evenings through September. This University of Oregon facility is the state's only professional astronomical observatory. Its three large telescopes are used for research and educational purposes, and it is one of the few professional observatories open to the public at night. Following an introductory lecture, visitors may view a variety of celestial objects such as the moon, planets, nebulas and galaxies through 15-inch and 24-inch telescopes and giant, high-powered binoculars. Experienced amateur astronomers from the Friends of Pine Mountain Observatory group will be on hand to answer questions and operate the telescopes. Observatory staff also will demonstrate one of the latest techniques available to astronomers: images gathered with a supersensitive electronic camera and then enhanced with the aid of computers. Visitors can take home digital images from the electronic camera on a computer floppy disk. Observatory staff request a donation of $2 per adult for the program, which is suitable for children age 10 years or older. Warm clothes are strongly recommended due to the observatory's high altitude. Rugged footwear is also advised. Bring a small flashlight but to protect everyone's night vision, please cover the lens with red cellophane or use some other means to restrict the white light. Plan to arrive just before dusk, usually around 8:30 p.m. in the summer, so that you can familiarize yourself with the terrain before dark. To reach Pine Mountain Observatory from Bend, take Highway 20 east (toward Burns) 26 miles to Millican. Just beyond Millican, turn south on the dirt road and drive eight miles to the top of Pine Mountain. To check on mountain-top weather and crowd conditions or to make reservations for group tours for eight or more persons, phone Mark Dunaway at the observatory, (541) 382-8331. Information is also available at the Pine Mountain website, http://pmo-sun.uoregon.edu. -30- #P-7354/Local, OrSci, OrDailies, PDX