The Drake Municipal Observatory has helped the general public enjoy the wonders of space from Des Moines, Iowa, for more than a century. Throughout its existence, Drake astronomy professors have led the Public Nights Series, a Friday night lecture series for residents who have an interest in what’s happening outside of Earth’s stratosphere.
Recent conflicts with the golf course that houses the observatory could interrupt future plans for the series and for the observatory as a whole.
“My cause here is to keep this place going for another 100 years,” said Herb Folsom, an astronomy professor at Drake for over 20 years and leader of the public event series. “It fills up every Friday night, and we’ve been doing that for over 100 years.”…