Editing Perkins Observatory (section)

==Current use==
Currently, regular observing programs are held almost every Friday and Saturday night throughout the year. Programs are held on other evenings and during the day by special appointment. A monthly lecture series detailing various current topics in astronomy is ongoing. Occasional special events (like telescope fairs, celebrity guest lecturers, and viewings of unusual astronomical events) are also sponsored and organized by Perkins. (Thousands of people visited the observatory to see comet [[Hale-Bopp]] in 1997. Each time a notable [[solar eclipse]] is visible from Central Ohio, several thousand pairs of eclipse glasses are distributed and educational school programs scheduled. [[Ed Krupp]], Director of [[Griffith Observatory]] and [[John Dobson (astronomer)|John Dobson]], inventor of the [[Dobsonian telescope]], have both visited and lectured at [[Ohio Wesleyan]] thanks to Perkins sponsorship.)

Perkins Observatory is now the most visible and most reliable source of information related to astronomy and space exploration in central [[Ohio]]. Television stations, newspapers, other local science museums, and members of the general public rely on Professor Burns and his staff to answer questions, provide perspective, make media appearances and dispel astronomical misconceptions.