BIG BANG: Well, it’s not likely to...

BIG BANG: Well, it’s not likely to be that big . . . . Still astronomers expect quite a galactic event when the Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 slams into Jupiter’s atmosphere this weekend. Best front-row seats: The Charles Temple Observatory at Moorpark College . . . . For three bucks, star gazers get a slide show and a chance to scan the heavens through the observatory’s telescopes. With any luck, you’ll see one of the comet’s mountain-sized hunks plow into the planet.

DYING POETS SOCIETY: For 14 1/2 years, poetry lovers have gathered regularly at the Simi Valley library to hear poets recite their verse, often late into the night . . . . On Saturday, the Simi Valley Poetry Series comes to an end, a victim of the earthquake, library funding cuts and the profusion of other poetry outlets. “When I started this in 1980, we didn’t have any place to read our poetry,” said Simi Valley bard Marilyn Hochheiser. That’s all changed, she said. The final meeting begins at 7 p.m. Expect the usual crowd of 50 or so.

WHAT A KICK: To American soccer fans, Eric Wynalda is about as big as they come . . . . He’s the guy who advanced the U.S. team in the World Cup with the winning goal over the Swiss. He’s got a $1.7-million contract to play pro soccer in Germany. And he’s a son of Thousand Oaks who shared a few pointers with kids in soccer camp at Cal Lutheran on Thursday (B6). “I grew up down the street,” he said. “This was the best field around.” Was his visit a hit? Thirteen-year-old Todd Hammerslag put it this way: “It was awesome, playing with him and stuff.”

COACH TO RETURN: Mike Scyphers has won unanimous approval of the Simi Valley school board to return as Simi Valley High’s head baseball coach next year (C12) . . . . Scyphers was suspended in May after police began investigating allegations of financial improprieties. His name was cleared June 8 and he was reinstated the next day. But because he has a one-year contract, he needed the board’s approval to return for his 17th season.