UPDATE: Due to mostly-cloudy to overcast skies and recurring scattered thunderstorms, this event has been CANCELED. — JG, 8/12/16, 8:00 PM.
Stephens Memorial Observatory of Hiram College will be open for public observing Friday, August 12, from 9:30 to midnight. Hoping to catch the end of the annual Perseid Meteor Shower, the observatory is hosting its monthly public event on this Friday rather than on Saturday night.
Visitors are invited to bring personal lawn chairs and sit out beneath the stars watching for meteors (mosquito repellent is strongly recommended) until midnight. Via telescope, views of beautiful Saturn, and other objects will also be offered. Saturn’s famous ring system is nicely tilted allowing for excellent viewing, given clear skies.
No reservations are required and there is no admission fee for observatory public nights. Cloudy skies at the starting time cancel the event and, in that case, the observatory will not open.
The Observatory is located on Wakefield Road (Rt. 82) less than a quarter of a mile west of Route 700 in Hiram. There is no parking at the Observatory. Visitors may park on permissible side streets near the Post Office, a short distance east of the observatory.
Stephens Memorial Observatory 