UPDATE: Thank you to the 38 folks who came out to visit us tonight and enjoy the view – such as it was! Early arrivals had exquisite views of Earth’s Moon; then nice views of Saturn with pastel cloud bands across the planetary body and the Cassini Division visible. Late comers got respectable views of Mars though the Martian dust storm hid details! Unfortunately, atmospheric haze/clouds hid the northern sky from us preventing views of the night’s comet and other wonders. Thanks for your patience, kind visitors, and we will hope for truly clear skies in September!
Stephens Memorial Observatory of Hiram College will be open for public observing Saturday, August 18, from 9:00 to 11:00 PM. Organizers are hoping for clear skies in order to provide visitors with wonderful views of the Moon, Red Planet Mars, and the “ring world” Saturn using the Observatory’s vintage telescope. With clear enough skies, and a little luck finding it, viewers may also have the opportunity to view Comet 21P/Giacobini–Zinner which is currently dim and with only the hint of a tail.
Cloudy skies at the scheduled starting time cancel the event and in that case, the observatory will not open. No reservations are required and there is no admission fee for observatory public nights.
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 