Open Nights – Page 2 – Stephens Memorial Observatory

August 18 Open Night

August 6, 2018August 18, 2018StephensAstroLeave a comment

Illustration: Saturn and Some Moons as they will appear at 10 PM, August 18, 2018. Simulation by Gas Giants. — Saturn and Some Moons as they will appear at 10 PM, August 18, 2018. Simulation by Gas Giants.

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.

July 21 Open Night: Moon, Jupiter, and Saturn!

July 10, 2018July 10, 2018StephensAstroLeave a comment

Image: Saturn and a few moons as it will appear the night of July 21. Simulation by "Gas Giants." — Saturn and a few moons as they will appear the night of July 21. *Simulation by “Gas Giants.”*

Stephens Memorial Observatory of Hiram College will be open for public observing Saturday, July 21, from 9:30 to 11:00 PM. Given good skies, visitors will see wonderful views of the Moon, giant planet Jupiter with moons of its own, and the “ring world” Saturn. Other objects of interest, such as star clusters, will also be sought, using the Observatory’s vintage telescope.

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.

Image: Jupiter and moon Io as they will appear at about 10 PM on July 21, 2018. The Great Red Spot will be front-and-center. Image: Gas Giants simulation. — Jupiter and moon Io as they will appear at about 10 PM on July 21, 2018. The Great Red Spot will be front-and-center. Image: *Gas Giants simulation.*

June 23 Public Night: A belated season opener

June 2, 2018June 23, 2018StephensAstroLeave a comment

FINAL — 8:59 PM: Event canceled due to near-Overcast conditions and nearby rain showers. We will try again in July.

UPDATE – June 23, 4:00 PM: Sky conditions are very changeable but prospects look generally poor for tonight’s scheduled Open Night as clouds dominate and isolated showers roam the region. We will make a final go/no-go decision this evening and announce it here and via Twitter.

Stephens Memorial Observatory of Hiram College will be open for public observing Saturday, June 23, from 9:00 to 11:00 PM. Given good skies, visitors will see wonderful views of the Moon and giant planet Jupiter with moons of its own. Other objects of interest, such as star clusters, will also be sought, using the Observatory’s vintage telescope.

Jupiter and Moons - June 23, 2018, 10 PM - Simulated View — Jupiter and Moons – June 23, 2018, 10 PM – Simulated View

The June event represents a late start to our public outreach season caused by an operational problem with the observatory building constructed in 1939. The problem has been corrected and we hope to present a full season’s schedule of public events.

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.

Opening soon?

April 24, 2018StephensAstroLeave a comment

We normally re-open from our winter break in March or at latest, April. You may have noticed clear or clear-ish nights have been fairly rare and the trend continues so we have not yet scheduled anything for 2018. We will endeavor to begin our public observing events in May though now we are encountering issues with our old building. Weather? Building? It’s always something! Stay tuned here and via Twitter for program announcements and we will hope for the best.

We Wish You Peace and Happiness

December 15, 2017January 17, 2018StephensAstroLeave a comment

Photo: "Solstice Skies over Stephens" Photo by David Dreimiller. — “Solstice Skies over Stephens” Photo by David Dreimiller. While it’s not actually solstice quite yet, the low sun and cloudy skies certainly go with the season!

The date of our final scheduled observatory Open Night has passed and Stephens Memorial Observatory will close for the season. If we enjoy a stretch of clear nights this winter, we may open for a special Open Night event (we would love to show you the Orion Nebula) so watch this website and our Twitter feed for updates. Otherwise, we’ll hope to reopen in March for monthly sessions. Until then, we wish you a happy holiday season and a new year full of peace and happiness.

StarLab public programs Friday, December 15

December 14, 2017StephensAstroLeave a comment

Photo: StarLab Portable Planetarium — StarLab Portable Planetarium

We expect we will cancel our scheduled Friday night Observatory event due to cloudy skies and possible snow. There is, however, a special treat awaiting sky-watchers on campus and it’s indoors, you know, where it’s warm!

The portable StarLab planetarium will be set up and open to the public! Free of charge! No tickets required! Folks can just come any time from 7:00 to 9:00 PM. The more the merrier. We will run 20-minute programs in the dome and have a few things planned while people are waiting or as they leave.

The StarLab will be set up in the Gerstacker science building on the Hiram College campus, not far north of the Post Office: 11700 Dean St.; Hiram.

So, come on out and enjoy a fun and informative evening snug inside StarLab. And to everyone we wish a happy holiday season, as well as peace and happiness in the coming new year!

Open Night: Friday, December 15

December 7, 2017December 13, 2017StephensAstroLeave a comment

Photo: The Pleiades — The Pleiades (M45) – By Rawastrodata

UPDATE: Due to inclement winter weather conditions, we expect we will CANCEL this planned event. Skies are predicted to be cloudy with a high likelihood of snow, and temperatures in the 20s can be expected.

Stephens Memorial Observatory of Hiram College will be open for public observing Friday, December 15, from 7:00 to 9:00 PM. Given good skies, visitors will see the stars of the Pleiades and Hyades clusters. Other objects of interest will also be sought. Most of the Observatory’s Open Nights take place on Saturdays but this special Friday event is in support of a related program on the Hiram campus.

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.

Open Night: November 25

November 15, 2017November 25, 2017StephensAstroLeave a comment

5:30 PM – UPDATE: Due to current and expected poor sky conditions, this scheduled Open Night has been CANCELED. We hope to have better luck on a special night: Friday, December 15.

Stephens Memorial Observatory of Hiram College will be open for public observing Saturday, November 25, from 7:00 to 9:00 PM. Given good skies, visitors will see the stars of the Pleiades and Hyades clusters. Other objects of interest will also be viewed. Early arrivals might get a look at the Moon but neighboring trees will either block us entirely or cut viewing short!

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.

September 30: Open Night

September 20, 2017September 30, 2017StephensAstroLeave a comment

Stephens Memorial Observatory of Hiram College will be open for public observing Saturday, September 30, from 9:00 to 11:00 PM. Featured that night will be Earth’s Moon, the Andromeda Galaxy, and the Perseus Double Cluster. Other objects of interest may also be viewed. Visitors are invited to bring their smart phones and try lunar photography via our grand century-old telescope! Patience will be a necessity as acquiring good smart phone images through a telescope is more difficult than it might seem!

The night’s observing depends upon clear skies and those have been in short supply this season! Cloudy skies at the 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.

Here is a link to a map of the Moon with some of its most visible features labeled. The map may be helpful in figuring out just what it was you photographed, or what you may be able to see through binoculars or a telescope!

Observatory Open Night July 22

July 12, 2017July 23, 2017StephensAstroLeave a comment

Stephens Memorial Observatory of Hiram College will be open for public observing Saturday, July 22, from 9:30 to 11:00 PM. Featured that night will be Saturn, red supergiant star Antares, and the M4 Star Cluster in the constellation Scorpius. Other objects of interest may also be viewed.