https://stephensobservatory.org/history/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/earlyexterior.jpgEarlyExteriorAn undated exterior image of Stephens Memorial Observatory showing much more open sky views than the facility currently enjoys. Image courtesy Hiram College archives. https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/obs-const-ca-1900-lg.jpgobs-const-ca-1900-lghttps://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/obs-in-fire-1939.jpgobs-in-fire-1939https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/obs-const-ca-1900-lg.jpgobs-const-ca-1900-lgUnder Construction - 1900https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/library-observ-full.jpglibrary-observ-fullhttps://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/library-north-full.jpglibrary-north-fullhttps://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/library-1900.jpgLibrary-1900Library & Observatory Viewed From Southwest - Note Transit Observatoryhttps://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/lathrop_cooley-full.jpglathrop_cooley-fullhttps://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/elbert_clarke.jpgelbert_clarkeProf. Elbert Clarkehttps://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/dome_removal-full.jpgdome_removal-fullDome is Removed from Fire-Damaged Library2025-10-29T18:46:06+00:00weekly0.6https://stephensobservatory.org/cooley-telescope/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/telescope-photograph-1901.jpgtelescope-photograph-1901Factory Photograph of the Cooley Telescopehttps://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/cooley_telescope-3.jpgcooley_telescope-3The Cooley Telescope2025-07-26T14:52:14+00:00weekly0.6https://stephensobservatory.org/2022/10/19/and-so-goodbye/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/moon_202114-square.jpgmoon_202114-squarehttps://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/stephens-memorial-observatory_img_1936.jpgstephens-memorial-observatory_img_1936https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/telescope-portrait-img_2319.jpgtelescope-portrait-img_2319https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/first-lift-705a1346.jpgfirst-lift-705a1346https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/peter-and-mount-705a1296.jpgpeter-and-mount-705a1296https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/gone-705a1433.jpggone-705a14332025-04-07T15:04:28+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/ongoing-work/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/one-less-tree.pngOne Less TreeOne Less Tree. The crabapple tree at the front of the eastern end of the building died in 2019 and was removed in June 2020. Its western twin remains.https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/img_8961.jpegIMG_8961Our New Sign - October 24, 2019https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/hiram-fireball_5216.jpghiram-fireball_5216Rooftop Fireball Network Camera2022-10-21T19:37:17+00:00weekly0.6https://stephensobservatory.org/about/2022-10-21T19:14:26+00:00weekly0.6https://stephensobservatory.org/2022/05/23/no-open-nights-planned/2022-10-19T17:08:10+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2022/08/11/when-galaxies-collide/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/noirlab2219a.jpgThe merging galaxy pair NGC 4568 and NGC 4567This image from the Gemini North telescope in Hawai‘i reveals a pair of interacting spiral galaxies — NGC 4568 (bottom) and NGC 4567 (top) — as they begin to clash and merge. The galaxies will eventually form a single elliptical galaxy in around 500 million years.2022-08-11T20:35:58+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2022/06/15/five-planets-arc-across-our-skies-this-month-but-you-have-to-get-up-early-to-see-them/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/low-angle-orbital-plain.pnglow-angle-orbital-plainhttps://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/field-of-view.jpegfield-of-viewhttps://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/daylight-513.jpgdaylight-5132022-06-16T02:01:14+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/contact-us/2022-06-06T01:28:50+00:00weekly0.6https://stephensobservatory.org/the-lens/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/l-3_logo.gifl-3_logohttps://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/flint_element-2.gifflint_element-2Flint Element - 2https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/flint_element-1.gifflint_element-1Flint Element - 1https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/crown_element-2.gifcrown_element-2Crown Element - 2https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/crown_element-1.gifcrown_element-1Crown Element - 1https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/crown_forward_final-full.jpgcrown_forward_final-fullCrown-Forward Final Resulthttps://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/crown-forward_graph.jpgcrown-forward_graphCrown Forward Simulationhttps://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/crown_forward_result-full.jpgcrown_forward_result-fullCrown-forward interferometric analysishttps://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/flint_forward_result-full.jpgflint_forward_result-fullFlint forward interferometric analysishttps://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/test_rig.jpgtest_rigHiram's vintage lens cell mounted on optical test table2022-06-05T00:41:08+00:00weekly0.6https://stephensobservatory.org/2022/05/03/midnight-total-lunar-eclipse-may-15-16/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/eclipse_shadow_diagram_edt_2022-05-15.jpgeclipse_shadow_diagram_edt_2022-05-15https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/eclipse_shadow_diagram_small_2022-05-15.jpgeclipse_shadow_diagram_small_2022-05-152022-05-03T16:37:19+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2022/02/10/new-planet-detected-around-star-closest-to-the-sun/2022-02-08T15:55:49+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2022/02/03/an-experience-shared-over-200-years/2022-02-03T21:57:40+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2021/12/18/a-christmas-eve-launch-set-for-the-james-webb-space-telescope/2021-12-18T16:53:25+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2021/12/01/eso-telescopes-reveal-closest-pair-of-supermassive-black-holes-yet-seen/2021-12-01T21:08:29+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2021/11/18/november-19th-near-total-lunar-eclipse/2021-11-18T21:53:39+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2021/10/25/happy-birthday-cooley/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/telescope_plaque_2006-1.jpgTelescope_Plaque_2006Dedication Plaque affixed to the Cooley Telescope2021-10-25T15:28:06+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2020/06/08/no-open-nights-until-further-notice/2021-10-25T14:23:44+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2021/09/10/our-active-sun/2021-09-10T21:32:29+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2021/08/31/centaurus-a-captured-by-the-dark-energy-camera/2021-08-31T20:54:08+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2021/07/22/astronomers-make-first-clear-detection-of-a-moon-forming-disc-around-an-exoplanet/2021-07-22T21:29:28+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2021/06/16/the-great-dimming-of-betelgeuse-explained-in-new-research/2021-06-14T19:49:56+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2021/05/25/total-lunar-eclipse-uh-not-this-time/2021-06-09T15:13:06+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2021/06/03/june-10-dawns-with-a-partially-eclipsed-sun/2021-06-04T14:02:32+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2021/04/27/happy-birthday-hubble-space-telescope-we-get-the-gift/2021-04-27T19:03:29+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2021/04/19/3265/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/ingenuity-in-flight.pngIngenuity-In-FlightShown in this screen grab from a video, the small “Ingenuity” rotorcraft made history, hovering above Jezero Crater, demonstrating that powered, controlled flight on another planet is possible. The video including this image was captured by the Perseverance rover parked nearby. Image Credit: NASA/JPLhttps://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/ingenuity-1st-flight-cropped.pngingenuity-1st-flight-croppedA tight crop from a video frame showing the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter during its historic first flight on Mars. The video including this image was captured by the Perseverance rover parked nearby. Image Credit: NASA/JPL2021-04-19T21:00:57+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2021/04/06/ingenuity-mars-helicopter-to-take-flight-soon/2021-04-10T19:51:20+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2021/03/24/new-a-view-of-the-m87-supermassive-black-hole-in-polarized-light/2021-03-24T15:49:29+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2021/03/08/it-moves/2021-03-08T14:56:38+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2021/02/26/nasa-hq-building-named-for-mary-w-jackson-of-hidden-figures-fame/2021-02-27T01:40:30+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2021/02/22/new-video-lets-viewers-ride-the-rover-during-mars-landing/2021-02-22T22:44:15+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2021/02/19/safe-landing-on-mars/2021-02-19T20:01:23+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2021/02/17/perseverance-arrives-at-mars-for-daring-landing-thursday-february-18/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/jpegpia24315.width-1600.jpgjpegPIA24315.width-1600The aeroshell containing NASA's Perseverance rover guides itself towards the Martian surface as it descends through the atmosphere in this illustration. Hundreds of critical events must execute perfectly and exactly on time for the rover to land on Mars safely on Feb. 18, 2021. Illustration Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech2021-02-17T20:50:22+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2021/02/12/as-the-world-turns/2021-02-12T16:55:20+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2021/02/08/rover-perseverance-to-land-on-mars-february-18/2021-02-08T20:25:41+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2020/12/15/the-great-conjunction-of-2020/2020-12-15T21:54:37+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2020/11/24/penumbral-lunar-eclipse-coming-november-30/2020-11-24T20:33:57+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2020/10/07/research-on-milky-ways-supermassive-black-hole-wins-2020-nobel-prize-in-physics/2020-10-07T20:56:39+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2020/10/02/moon-and-mars-pair-up-night-of-october-2/2020-10-02T20:09:39+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2020/10/01/fireball-lights-the-morning-sky/2020-10-01T21:35:24+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2020/09/14/possible-marker-of-life-detected-in-the-atmosphere-of-venus/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/venus-artist-impression_eso2015e.jpgArtistic impression of the Venusian surface and atmosphere (withThis artistic illustration depicts the Venusian surface and atmosphere. Credit: ESO/M. Kornmesser2020-09-14T15:25:53+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2020/08/12/hey-thats-my-fireball/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/fireball_data.pngFireball_DataData Summary for the fireball recorded at 11:36 PM EDT, August 11, 2020. Credit: NASAhttps://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/fireball_ev_20200812_033600a_17a.jpgFireball_ev_20200812_033600A_17AFireball image captured at 11:36 PM EDT by Hiram's NASA All-Sky Fireball Network camera. Credit: NASA2020-08-12T19:10:10+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2020/08/08/perseids-2020-dependable-shower-dubious-weather/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/sky-full_2020-08-08-at-12.07.30-pm.pngSky-Full_2020-08-08 at 12.07.30 PMhttps://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/sky-web-2020-08-08-at-12.07.30-pm.jpgSky-web-2020-08-08-at-12.07.30-PMOur Night Sky: August 11, 2020, 11:59 PM. Credit: SkySafarihttps://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/perseids-2020-wx.jpgPerseids-2020-wx2020 Perseids Viewing Forecast for the continental United States. Credit: Accuweatherhttps://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/ev_20200808_073842a_17a.jpgev_20200808_073842A_17AA fireball meteor streaks across the sky north of Hiram at 3:38 AM, August 8, 2020. Credit: NASA All-Sky Fireball Network2020-08-08T20:57:34+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2020/07/30/a-stellar-butterfly/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/ngc2899_eso2012a.jpgNew ESO’s VLT image of the NGC 2899 planetary nebulaThis highly detailed image of the fantastic NGC 2899 planetary nebula was captured using the FORS instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope in northern Chile. This object has never before been imaged in such striking detail, with even the faint outer edges of the planetary nebula glowing over the background stars. Credit: ESO 2020-07-30T16:31:08+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2020/07/16/excitement-surrounds-comet-c-2020-f3-neowise/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/guilford_purity-and-pollution_img_6232.jpgGuilford_purity-and-pollution_IMG_6232Purity and Pollution. Comet C/2020 F3 NEOWISE floats serenely among stars above clouds glowing brightly from light pollution. Photo by James Guilford.2020-07-16T19:27:16+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2020/07/11/a-visitor-from-outer-space/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/cb6de0d0-7f71-4134-abae-b5b9365d6091_1_201_a.jpegCB6DE0D0-7F71-4134-ABAE-B5B9365D6091_1_201_aJuly's evening sky offers more convenient viewing hours for C/2020 F3. Credit: SkySafarihttps://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/cometpair.jpgCometPairComet C/2020 F3 with normal exposure (top), then brightened in processing to bring out fuller extent of its dust trail (lower image). Photo by James Guilford.https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/comet-dawn_img_6108.jpgComet-Dawn_IMG_6108Seen at 5:00 in the morning, July 9, 2020, C/2020 F3 rises over calm Lake Erie waters and predawn colors. Photo by James Guilford.https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/guilford_comet_c2020f3_img_6108.jpgGuilford_Comet_C2020F3_IMG_6108Seen at 5:00 in the morning, July 9, 2020, C/2020 F3 rises over calm Lake Erie waters and predawn colors. Photo by James Guilford.2020-07-11T15:27:09+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2020/07/06/july-fourth-weekend-brought-sly-events-great-and-small/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/guilford_july-conjunction.jpgGuilford_July-ConjunctionConjunction of Earth's Moon, with planets Jupiter (bright dot above), and Saturn (less bright dot to the left at the edge of a cloud), the night of July 5, 2020. Photo by James Guilford.https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/side-by-side.jpgSide-by-SideLittle difference can be seen between an earlier stage and the maximum eclipse state of the July 4 - 5, 2020 penumbral lunar eclipse. Photos by James Guilford.2020-07-09T15:08:15+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2020/06/29/subtle-lunar-eclipse-july-4-5/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/penumbral-eclipse-finished.jpgPenumbral-Eclipse-FinishedA penumbral lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes through the thin outer shadow -- penumbra -- Earth casts out into space.https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/penumbral-lunar-eclipse_earth-shadow.jpgPenumbral-Lunar-Eclipse_Earth-ShadowEarth's shadow streams into space away from the Sun. The shadow has a partially-shaded outer portion, and a deep inner cone. Moon is eclipsed when it enters Earth's shadow. Moon is eclipsed when it passes through Earth's shadow. Credit: SkySafari / J. Guilfordhttps://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/screen-shot-2020-06-29-at-2.31.36-pm.pngScreen Shot 2020-06-29 at 2.31.36 PMPenumbral Lunar Eclipse of July 4 - 5, 2020. Credit: NASAhttps://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/penumbral-lunar-eclipse-july-4-2020.pngPenumbral Lunar Eclipse July 4 2020Penumbral Shadow on Earth's Moon at Maximum Eclipse. July 5, 2020 at 12:31 AM EDT. Simulation via SkySafari2020-07-04T20:23:55+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2020/07/02/a-sunday-night-get-together-jupiter-and-saturn-oppose-earth/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/planetary-positions-july-2020-e1593700029986.pngPlanetary Positions July 2020Planetary Positions July 2020. Image via NASA's Eyes.https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/saturn-moon-jupiter-july-2020.pngSaturn-Moon-Jupiter July 2020Conjunction of Earth's Moon, Jupiter, and Saturn the night of July 5, 2020. Simulation via SkySafari.2020-07-02T14:36:18+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2020/05/22/can-you-see-the-comet-named-swan-ummmmm/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/img_0320.jpegIMG_0320Comet C/2020 F8 (SWAN) will make a low arc across the northwestern horizon over the coming month. Here's a hand-drawn plot. Credit: SkySafari/J. Guilford2020-05-22T20:21:14+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2020/05/20/planet-birth-begins-with-a-twist/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/eso2008d-annotated.jpgSPHERE images of the AB Aurigae system (side by side, annotated)The images of the AB Aurigae system showing the disc around it. The image on the right is a zoomed-in version of the area indicated by a red square on the image on the left. It shows the inner region of the disc, including the very-bright-yellow ‘twist’ (circled in white) that scientists believe marks the spot where a planet is forming. This twist lies at about the same distance from the AB Aurigae star as Neptune from the Sun. The blue circle represents the size of the orbit of Neptune. The images were obtained with the SPHERE instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope in polarized light. Credit: ESO/Boccaletti et al.https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/eso2008a.jpgeso2008aObservations made with the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT) have revealed the telltale signs of a star system being born. Credit: ESO/Boccaletti et al.2020-05-19T15:53:30+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2020/05/07/recalling-an-outburst-comet-17p-holmes/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/comet-17p-holmes-img_1249-redux.jpgComet-17P-Holmes-IMG_1249-reduxComet Redux. Reprocessing old images shot through the Stephens Observatory telescope shows Comet 17P/Holmes as it appeared October 28, 2007. Photo by James Guilford.2020-05-07T20:57:22+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2020/05/06/black-hole-nearest-earth-discovered-1000-light-years-distant/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/eso2007b-chart.jpgLocation of the HR 6819 in the constellation of TelescopiumThis chart shows the location of the HR 6819 triple system, which includes the closest black hole to Earth, in the constellation of Telescopium. This map shows most of the stars visible to the unaided eye under good conditions and the system itself is marked with a red circle. While the black hole is invisible, the two stars in HR 6819 can be viewed from the southern hemisphere on a dark, clear night without binoculars or a telescope. Credit: ESO, IAU and Sky & Telescopehttps://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/eso2007a-illustration.jpgArtist’s impression of the triple system with the closest blacThis artist’s impression shows the orbits of the objects in the HR 6819 triple system. This system is made up of an inner binary with one star (orbit in blue) and a newly discovered black hole (orbit in red), as well as a third star in a wider orbit (also in blue). Image Credit: ESO/L. Calçada2020-05-04T14:01:23+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2020/04/25/celebrating-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-hubble-space-telescope/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/hubble-at-30_heic2007a.jpgTapestry of Blazing StarbirthThis image is one of the most photogenic examples of the many turbulent stellar nurseries the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has observed during its 30-year lifetime. The portrait features the giant nebula NGC 2014 and its neighbor NGC 2020 which together form part of a vast star-forming region in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way, approximately 163,000 light-years away.2020-04-25T14:17:29+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2020/03/23/well-be-apart-for-a-while/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/covid-19_23312-web.jpgcovid-19_23312-web2020-04-15T19:54:38+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2020/04/15/the-observatorys-closed-video-programs-to-be-produced/2020-04-15T18:16:01+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2020/03/13/season-opening-postponed/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/sun-moon-stars.gifsun-moon-stars2020-03-23T20:29:36+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2019/12/22/closed-for-the-season-4/2020-03-13T20:22:02+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2019/12/18/saturday-december-21-special-open-night/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/orion-nebula-2012_bw_img_7428-e1576944060272.jpgOrion-Nebula-2012_BW_IMG_7428The Orion Nebula, Messier 42, as it can appear to viewers through small telescopes. Photo by James Guilford, 2012.2019-12-22T16:51:10+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2019/10/28/new-observations-may-add-a-new-dwarf-planet-to-our-solar-system/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/hygiea_eso1918a.jpgSPHERE image of HygieaA new SPHERE/VLT image of Hygiea, which could be the Solar System’s smallest dwarf planet yet. As an object in the main asteroid belt, Hygiea satisfies right away three of the four requirements to be classified as a dwarf planet: it orbits around the Sun, it is not a moon and, unlike a planet, it has not cleared the neighborhood around its orbit. The final requirement is that it have enough mass that its own gravity pulls it into a roughly spherical shape. This is what VLT observations have now revealed about Hygiea. Credit: ESO/P. Vernazza et al./MISTRAL algorithm (ONERA/CNRS)2019-10-27T19:53:53+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2019/06/12/former-director-jerry-jackson-dies/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/img_5021.jpgIMG_5021Gerald ‘Jerry’ Jackson2019-10-10T15:58:15+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2019/10/07/we-appreciate-you-luna/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/first-quarter-img_8768.jpgFirst Quarter IMG_8768Our First-Quarter Moon on International Observe the Moon Night, as seen through the Stephens telescope at 9:04 PM EDT. iPhone SE at eyepiece.https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/img_5444.jpegIMG_5444Zooming in: That dot in the center of dark-floored crater Alphonsus is its central peak. Over the course of two hours sun rose over that pinnacle making it brighter, and other features began to emerge as we watched. Alphonsus slightly overlaps the crater Ptolemaeus. https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/img_5444.jpgIMG_5444https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/img_1319.jpgIMG_1319Our First-Quarter Moon on International Observe the Moon Night, as seen through the Stephens telescope at 9:04 PM EDT. iPhone SE at eyepiece.2019-10-07T18:59:48+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2019/09/16/october-5-international-observe-the-moon-night-saturn-bonus/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/x105_105_inomn_postcard_2019_1280.jpg.pagespeed.ic_.lly9dc9q1k.jpgx105_105_InOMN_Postcard_2019_1280.jpg.pagespeed.ic.LLY9DC9q1KSave the Date! International Observe the Moon Night will take place on October 5th 2019.2019-09-16T15:55:43+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2019/09/05/saturday-september-14-public-night/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/fullsizeoutput_1764.jpegfullsizeoutput_1764Simulated View" Saturn and Moons, September 14, 2019 at 9:30 PM EDT. Image via Gas Giants2019-09-15T20:34:25+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2019/08/17/new-hubble-portrait-of-jupiter/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/jupiter-heic1914-web.jpgJupiter’s Colourful PaletteThe NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope reveals the intricate, detailed beauty of Jupiter’s clouds in this new image taken on 27 June 2019 by Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3, when the planet was 644 million kilometres from Earth — its closest distance this year. The image features the planet’s trademark Great Red Spot and a more intense color palette in the clouds swirling in the planet’s turbulent atmosphere than seen in previous years. The observations of Jupiter form part of the Outer Planet Atmospheres Legacy (OPAL) program. Credit: NASA, ESA, A. Simon (Goddard Space Flight Center), and M.H. Wong (University of California, Berkeley)2019-08-17T15:16:37+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2019/08/01/august-10-open-night-saturn-and-the-moon/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/fullsizeoutput_16b3.jpegfullsizeoutput_16b3Saturn and Moons, July 10, 2019. Simulation via Gas Giants.2019-08-01T13:36:55+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2019/06/14/july-13-two-favorite-sights-the-moon-and-jupiter/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/fullsizeoutput_15a4.jpegfullsizeoutput_15a4Jupiter and its Galilean Moons as they will appear the night of July 13, 2019. Labels for Ganymede and Io overlap. Simulation via "Gas Giants".2019-07-14T14:16:19+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2019/07/13/our-2019-schedule/2019-07-13T20:25:50+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2019/06/30/watch-the-july-2-total-solar-eclipse-via-live-stream-or-nasa-tv/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/nasa-eclipse_1-1.jpgNASA eclipse_1The corona, a region of the Sun only seen from Earth when the Moon blocks out the Sun's bright face during total solar eclipses. The corona holds the answers to many of scientists' outstanding questions about the Sun's activity and processes. This photo was taken during the total solar eclipse on Aug. 21, 2017. Credits: NASA/Gopalswamy2019-06-30T15:49:36+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2019/04/10/first-direct-imaging-of-a-black-hole-and-its-shadow/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/m87-jet-nasa-hst.jpgm87-jet-nasa-hstStreaming out from the center of M87 like a cosmic searchlight is one of nature’s most amazing phenomena: a black-hole-powered jet of subatomic particles traveling at nearly the speed of light. In this Hubble image, the blue jet contrasts with the yellow glow from the combined light of billions of unresolved stars and the point-like clusters of stars that make up this galaxy. Credits: NASA and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/a-consensus_black-hole.jpgA-Consensus_Black-HoleUsing the Event Horizon Telescope, scientists obtained an image of the black hole at the center of galaxy M87, outlined by emission from hot gas swirling around it under the influence of strong gravity near its event horizon. Credit: Event Horizon Telescope collaboration et al.2019-04-10T21:42:53+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2019/01/14/closed-for-the-season-3/2019-02-27T20:28:20+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2019/02/13/an-end-to-oppy/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/oppy-spirit_mer-high-1.jpgoppy-spirit_mer-high-1Artist's concept of the Spirit & Opportunity Mars Rovers. Image Credit: NASAhttps://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/pia22928-tracks.jpgPIA22928-tracksIn this navigation camera raw image, NASA's Opportunity Rover looks back over its own tracks on Aug. 4, 2010. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech2019-02-13T21:34:59+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2019/01/22/a-moment-in-astronomical-time/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/eso1902a.jpgA Fleeting Moment in TimeThe faint, ephemeral glow emanating from the planetary nebula ESO 577-24 persists for only a short time  — around 10,000 years, a blink of an eye in astronomical terms. ESO’s Very Large Telescope captured this shell of glowing ionised gas — the last breath of the dying star whose simmering remains are visible at the heart of this image. As the gaseous shell of this planetary nebula expands and grows dimmer, it will slowly disappear from sight. This stunning planetary nebula was imaged by one of the VLT’s most versatile instruments, FORS2. The instrument captured the bright, central star, Abell 36, as well as the surrounding planetary nebula. The red and blue portions of this image correspond to optical emission at red and blue wavelengths, respectively. An object much closer to home is also visible in this image — an asteroid wandering across the field of view has left a faint track below and to the left of the central star. And in the far distance behind the nebula a glittering host of background galaxies can be seen. Credit: ESO2019-01-21T20:06:22+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2019/01/06/january-20-total-lunar-eclipse/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/screen-shot-2019-01-06-at-4.23.49-pm.pngscreen shot 2019-01-06 at 4.23.49 pmJanuary 2019 Total Lunar Eclipse Timing - Credit: TimeAndDate.com2019-01-06T22:27:45+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2019/01/02/new-horizons-completes-kuiper-belt-flyby/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/ultima-thule_20190102-pr.pngultima-thule_20190102-prThis image taken by the Long-Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) is the most detailed of Ultima Thule returned so far by the New Horizons spacecraft. It was taken at 5:01 Universal Time on January 1, 2019, just 30 minutes before closest approach from a range of 18,000 miles (28,000 kilometers), with an original scale of 730 feet (140 meters) per pixel. Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institutehttps://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/new-horizons_kuiper.jpgnew-horizons_kuiperArtist's depiction of New Horizons in the Kuiper Belt region of our Solar System. Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute2019-01-02T21:20:48+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2018/12/13/early-morning-fireball-lights-our-sky/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/fireball_21-13-2018.pngfireball_21-13-2018A bright fireball meteor streak captured by the NASA All Sky Fireball Network Camera located at Hiram College.2018-12-13T16:08:41+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2018/12/10/voyager-2-enters-interstellar-space/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/voyager_in_interstellar_space_annotated_1920x1080_72dpi-final.pngvoyager_in_interstellar_space_annotated_1920x1080_72dpi-finalThis illustration shows the position of NASA’s Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 probes, outside of the heliosphere, a protective bubble created by the Sun that extends well past the orbit of Pluto. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech 2018-12-10T14:11:38+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2018/10/25/november-17-observatory-open-night-try-try-again/2018-11-17T20:13:38+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2018/10/12/october-20-international-observe-the-moon-night/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/observethemoon.jpgobservethemoon2018-10-20T20:16:26+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2018/10/04/first-results-from-the-last-hurrah/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/saturn-rings_pia14943-full.jpgsaturn-rings_PIA14943-fullSaturn’s rings are perhaps the most recognized feature of any world in our solar system. Cassini spent more than a decade examining them more closely than any spacecraft before it. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute2018-10-04T19:14:20+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2018/09/20/september-22-public-night/2018-09-23T00:26:39+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2018/09/02/saving-the-dark/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/saving-the-dark.jpgsaving-the-darkThe night sky could look like this anywhere in Ohio if we would just be careful with artificial light. Image Credit: "Saving the Dark"2018-09-02T20:15:56+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2018/08/06/august-18-open-night/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/img_4122.jpgIMG_4122Saturn and Some Moons as they will appear at 10 PM, August 18, 2018. Simulation by Gas Giants.2018-08-19T04:47:38+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2018/07/10/july-21-open-night-moon-jupiter-and-saturn/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/fullsizeoutput_1181.jpegfullsizeoutput_1181Jupiter 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.https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/fullsizeoutput_1180.jpegfullsizeoutput_1180Saturn and a few moons as it will appear the night of July 21. Simulation by "Gas Giants."2018-07-10T19:16:05+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2018/06/02/june-23-public-night-a-belated-season-opener/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/fullsizeoutput_1105.jpegfullsizeoutput_1105Jupiter and Moons - June 23, 2018, 10 PM - Simulated View2018-06-24T00:57:23+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2018/04/24/opening-soon/2018-04-24T19:12:26+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2018/02/07/closed-for-the-season-2/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/2ea94b47-09af-45e0-9a78-0aac49374f0e.jpeg2EA94B47-09AF-45E0-9A78-0AAC49374F0EStephens Memorial Observatory - February 20182018-02-08T04:16:17+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2018/01/29/best-chance-to-see-the-january-31-lunar-eclipse-on-tv-or-online/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/fullsizeoutput_f47.jpegfullsizeoutput_f47Table giving Timing of January 31, 2018 Total Lunar Eclipse - Credit: TimeAndDate.com2018-01-30T01:48:36+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2018/01/17/yard-wide-meteor-raised-alerts-across-the-great-lakes-region/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/michiganfireballnetvideo.gifMichiganFireballNetVideoA fireball meteor (bright dot in the upper-right of this image) flared brilliantly northwest of Detroit, Michigan, as it shot through the atmosphere. Here the event is shown as imaged by the NASA All-Sky Fireball Network camera at Oberlin College in Northeastern Ohio. The camera system located at Hiram College recorded a flash in the clouds close to the horizon but was a bit too far away for a better look. Courtesy: NASA Meteoroid Environment Office (MEO)https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/michigan-fireball_1-16-2018.pngMichigan-Fireball_1-16-2018A fireball meteor (bright dot in the upper-right of this image) glowed brilliantly northwest of Detroit, Michigan, and was imaged by the NASA All-Sky Fireball Network camera at Oberlin College in Northeastern Ohio.2018-01-18T21:12:13+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2017/12/15/we-wish-you-peace-and-happiness/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/dreimiller-solstice-sky-dsc_1900-edit.jpgDreimiller-Solstice Sky DSC_1900-Edit"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!2018-01-17T20:19:54+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2017/12/20/732/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/eso1741a-red-giant.jpgStar π1 GruisAstronomers using ESO’s Very Large Telescope have directly observed granulation patterns on the surface of a star outside the Solar System — the ageing red giant π1 Gruis. This remarkable new image from the PIONIER instrument reveals the convective cells that make up the surface of this huge star. Each cell covers more than a quarter of the star’s diameter and measures about 120 million kilometers across. Image Credit: ESO2017-12-18T22:15:15+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2017/12/15/open-night-canceled/2017-12-15T21:33:57+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2017/12/14/starlab-public-programs-friday-december-15/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/starlab.jpgstarlabStarLab Portable Planetarium2017-12-15T00:39:57+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2017/12/07/open-night-friday-december-15/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/the_pleiades_m45-wiki.jpgThe_Pleiades_(M45)-wikiThe Pleiades (M45) - By Rawastrodata2017-12-13T20:39:06+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2017/11/15/open-night-november-25/2017-11-25T22:36:53+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2017/10/16/october-28-international-observe-the-moon-night/2017-10-31T00:38:54+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2017/10/20/peaking-this-weekend-orionid-meteors-aplenty/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/img_3284.jpgimg_3284https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/orionid-meteor-hiram.pngorionid-meteor-hiramOrionid Fireball Meteor Imaged over Hiram Friday, October 20. Credit: NASA/All-Sky Fireball Network2017-10-21T00:05:48+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2017/10/16/first-observation-of-gravitational-wave-source-a-kilonova-the-merger-of-two-neutron-stars/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/kilonova-2017.jpgHubble observes first kilonovaOn 17 August 2017, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) and the Virgo Interferometer both detected gravitational waves from the collision between two neutron stars. Within 12 hours observatories had identified the source of the event within the lenticular galaxy NGC 4993, shown in this image gathered with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. The associated stellar flare, a kilonova, is clearly visible in the Hubble observations. This is the first time the optical counterpart of a gravitational wave event was observed. Hubble observed the kilonova gradually fading over the course of six days, as shown in these observations taken in between 22 and 28. Credit: NASA and ESA. Acknowledgment: A.J. Levan (U. Warwick), N.R. Tanvir (U. Leicester), and A. Fruchter and O. Fox (STScI)2017-10-16T14:52:20+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2017/10/01/spectacular-views-of-earths-moon/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/copernicus-imbrium_pq9a7913.jpgCopernicus-Imbrium_PQ9A7913Mare Imbrium and Crater Copernicus. Credit: James Guilford/Stephens Memorial Observatory2017-10-01T05:42:42+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2017/09/20/september-30-open-night/2017-09-30T17:03:34+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2017/08/21/a-fine-sight/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/front-page-story-record-courier.pngFront Page Story Record CourierThe Record-Courier - August 22, 2017 -- Page 1https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/before-max-cropped-img_8517.jpgbefore-max-cropped-IMG_8517Before Maximum - Rough Edge. Look closely along the dark curve of the Moon moving over the Sun and note "bumps" along the edge: the silhouettes of craters and mountains on the Moon. https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/before-max-img_8517.jpgbefore-max-IMG_8517Before Maximum Eclipse - Credit: James Guilfordhttps://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/img_4272-c.jpgIMG_4272-cWatching and Waiting for the Big Event - Credit: James Guilfordhttps://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/dreimiller_dsc_6019.jpgDreimiller_DSC_6019Woman watches eclipse through specially-equipped telescope. Credit: Dave Dreimillerhttps://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/dreimiller_dsc_6004.jpgDreimiller_DSC_6004Solar Telescopes Trained on the Eclipse - Credit: Dave Dreimillerhttps://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/dreimiller_dsc_5955.jpgDreimiller_DSC_5955Watching the Eclipse with Safety Glasses - Credit: Dave Dreimillerhttps://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/guilford_eclipse-maximum.jpgguilford_eclipse-maximumThe partial solar eclipse reaches its maximum at 2:23 PM EDT as viewed from Hiram College, Hiram, Ohio.2017-08-23T14:31:09+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2017/08/20/monday-august-21-hiram-eclipse-watch/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/hiram-eclipse-map.pnghiram-eclipse-map2017-08-21T03:14:27+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2017/08/01/hiram-eclipse-watch-august-21-2/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/maximum-eclipse-hiram.pngmaximum eclipse hiramMaximum Eclipse Coverage - Hiram, Ohio. Simulation via SkySafari 52017-08-18T19:16:30+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2017/08/15/hey-kids-build-one-of-these/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/cereal-box-projector.jpgcereal box projectorA DIY Eclipse Viewer2017-08-15T04:06:12+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2017/07/12/observatory-open-night-july-22/2017-07-23T20:58:55+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2017/06/29/598/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/usps-eclipse-stamps-2017.pngusps-eclipse-stamps-2017Eclipse Commemorative Transforms at a Touch - Credit: USPS2017-06-29T18:43:45+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2017/06/25/beautiful-end-to-a-strange-and-frustrating-evening/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/portage-storm-pano.jpgPortage-Storm-PanoStorm over Portage County, Ohio, June 24, 2017 - by James Guilford2017-06-25T14:31:14+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2017/06/13/june-24-rings-open-night/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/ringnebula_walker-e1497380440705.jpgringnebula_walkerThe Ring Nebula (aka Messier 57). Credit: Walker County Observatory / Science@NASA - http://science.nasa.gov2017-06-13T19:02:39+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2017/05/26/courtesy-juno-spectacular-new-view-of-jupiter/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/jove_south-pole_pia21641_hires.jpgjove_south-pole_PIA21641_hiresThis image shows Jupiter's south pole, as seen by NASA's Juno spacecraft from an altitude of 32,000 miles (52,000 kilometers). Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Betsy Asher Hall/Gervasio Robles2017-05-26T14:35:46+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2017/05/22/may-open-night-still-battling-the-weather-and-forecasts/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/img_2759.jpgIMG_2759Simulated View: Jupiter and Galilean Moons as they appeared Saturday Night, May 20, 2017. - SkySafari Prohttps://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/img_3150.jpgIMG_3150Saturday Night Alive: It happens every spring; baby birds of various ages get inside the observatory and most die. We captured this little fellow and put it in an area where we hope its parents can find and care for it.2017-05-22T14:44:35+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2017/04/26/hiram-eclipse-watch-august-21/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/eclipse_map_usa_2017.pngeclipse_map_usa_2017Path of the August 21, 2017 Total Solar Eclipse - Courtesy NationalEclipse.com2017-04-26T18:30:22+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2017/04/04/lets-look-at-jupiter-april-22/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/img_2577.jpgIMG_2577Jupiter and His Moons as They will appear April 22, 2017, 10:00 PM EDT2017-04-23T21:25:10+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2017/04/23/fireball-meteor-recorded-over-hiram/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/0f0a67dc-4d16-464b-82a9-5b702cb0e657-820-000000daff42411f.png0F0A67DC-4D16-464B-82A9-5B702CB0E657-820-000000DAFF42411FA Bright Meteor - a Fireball - Recorded over Hiram April 23, 2017. Image Credit: NASA/MEO2017-04-23T21:14:49+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2017/02/22/seven-earth-sized-planets-discovered-around-nearby-dwarf-star/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/trappist-1.jpgArtist’s impression of the TRAPPIST-1 planetary systemThis artist’s impression shows the view from the surface of one of the planets in the TRAPPIST-1 system. At least seven planets orbit this ultra cool dwarf star 40 light-years from Earth and they are all roughly the same size as the Earth. They are at the right distances from their star for liquid water to exist on the surfaces of several of them. This artist’s impression is based on the known physical parameters for the planets and stars seen, and uses a vast database of objects in the Universe. Credit: ESO/M. Kornmesser/spaceengine.org2017-02-22T16:29:41+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2016/12/23/closed-for-the-season/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/stephens_2137.jpgstephens_2137Stephens Memorial Observatory - December 20162016-12-23T05:00:41+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2016/12/12/no-december-open-night/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/eso0848a-christmas_tree.jpgeso0848a-christmas_treeThis color image of the region known as NGC 2264 — an area of sky that includes the sparkling blue baubles of the Christmas Tree star cluster and the Cone Nebula. Image Credit: ESO2016-12-12T21:20:47+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2016/11/13/tonights-moon-deserves-a-look/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/full-moon_pq9a5525.jpgfull-moon_pq9a5525Shortly After Rising: Nearly Full Perigee (aka "supermoon") Moon - November 13, 2016, 5:52 PMhttps://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/moon_pq9a1966.jpgmoon_pq9a1966Our Moon2016-11-13T23:31:56+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2016/11/06/sorry-no-november-public-night/2016-11-07T03:14:06+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2016/09/27/october-8-international-observe-the-moon-night/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/img_0787.jpegimg_07872016-10-10T12:26:09+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2016/09/10/canceled-september-10-open-night/2016-09-11T14:34:38+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2016/08/24/earth-class-planet-detected-at-proxima-centauri/2016-08-24T17:58:52+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2016/08/04/august-12-special-friday-open-night/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/saturn_8-12-2016.jpgsaturn_8-12-2016Saturn: August 12, 10:00 PM EDT - Simulated view via Gas Giants app2016-08-13T00:04:56+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2016/07/18/two-panel-moon/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/two-panel_moon.jpgtwo-panel_moonTwo-Panel Moon: This photograph of the Moon, about two days from Full, is composed of two images. The individual shots were made using a Canon DSLR in place of the telescope's eyepiece, projecting the lunar image directly upon the camera's sensor. Adobe Photoshop was used to "photomerge" and edit the individual panels or frames.2016-07-18T19:52:11+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2016/07/17/i-see-the-moon/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/crater-tyco_img_4876.jpgcrater-tyco_IMG_4876Closer View of the Moon, featuring crater Tyco, using a Canon DSLR and the Cooley Telescope at Stephens Memorial Observatory. Photo by James Guilford.https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_1644.jpgIMG_1644Nearly-Full, Gibbous Moon, captured using an iPhone SE held to the eyepiece of the Cooley Telescope at Stephens Memorial Observatory. Photo by James Guilford.https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/stephens-moon_img_4903.jpgstephens-moon_IMG_4903Nearly-Full Moon and Stephens Memorial Observatory. In the trees, to right of the Moon, are Saturn (upper), Antares below, and Mars to the right. No, the dome isn't about to topple just yet - it's a fisheye lens effect! 2016-07-17T20:35:58+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2016/07/13/saturday-july-16-open-night/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/saturn_july-16-2016.jpgsaturn_july-16-2016Saturn and Moons - July 16, 2016 at about 10 PM EDT. Simulated view.2016-07-13T15:58:39+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2016/07/02/juno-reaches-jupiter-after-five-year-journey/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/juno-jupiter.jpgjuno-jupiterThis illustration depicts NASA's Juno spacecraft at Jupiter, with its solar arrays and main antenna pointed toward the distant sun and Earth. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech2016-07-02T16:44:15+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2016/06/07/open-night-saturday-june-18/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/saturn-moons-june_18_2016.jpgsaturn-moons-june_18_2016Simulated view of Saturn and a few of its moons as they will appear June 18, 2016.https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/saturn-eyepiece-view.jpgsaturn-eyepiece-view2016-06-19T23:16:40+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2016/06/17/july-4-nasas-juno-arrives-at-jupiter/2016-06-17T15:03:18+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2016/06/14/fireball-seen-over-hiram-the-night-of-june-11/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/hiram_meteor_06-11-2016.pnghiram_meteor_06-11-2016Fireball Recorded June 11, 2016, at 10:17 PM EDT2016-06-14T17:43:16+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2016/05/12/open-night-saturday-may-14/2016-05-14T20:32:51+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2016/05/09/2016-transit-of-mercury/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/goes-east_1321.jpgGOES-East_1321Weather Satellite Image: Much of the US cloud-covered during the transit event. https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/cloudy-transit_pq9a4716-guilford.jpgcloudy-transit_PQ9A4716-guilfordTransit of Mercury: Mother Earth's atmospherics begin to block the view! Photo by James Guilford.https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/mercury-transit_pq9a4711-guilford.jpgmercury-transit_PQ9A4711-guilfordMercury's Transit in Progress: Mercury is the tiny dot at the lower-left. Smudge near the center is a group of sunspots. Photo by James Guilford.https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/screen-shot-2016-05-09-at-2-33-13-pm.pngScreen Shot 2016-05-09 at 2.33.13 PMThe View from Space. Credit: Data courtesy of NASA/SDO, HMI, and AIA science teams.2016-05-09T19:17:46+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2016/05/02/may-9-mercury-crosses-the-sun/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/transit-of-mercury_2016-05-09.pngtransit-of-mercury_2016-05-09May 9 Transit of Mercury - Note how the orbits of Mercury, Venus, and Earth are "tilted" making line-of-sight alignment a rare occurrence.2016-05-03T14:46:47+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2016/03/15/season-opener-april-16/2016-04-17T04:37:04+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2016/04/13/a-big-black-spot-on-the-sun-today/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/sunspot_-ar2529_img_4319-guilford.jpgsunspot_-AR2529_IMG_4319-guilfordSunspot AR2529 - April 14 - Through the Vintage Cooley Telescopehttps://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/sun_0420.jpgsun_0420Sunspot AR2529 2016-04-14T19:09:18+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2016/01/28/closed-for-winter/2016-01-28T21:16:12+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2016/01/20/caltech-researchers-find-evidence-of-a-real-ninth-planet/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/planet_nine.pngplanet_nineThe six most distant known objects in the solar system with orbits exclusively beyond Neptune (magenta) all mysteriously line up in a single direction. Also, when viewed in three dimensions, they tilt nearly identically away from the plane of the solar system. Batygin and Brown show that a planet with 10 times the mass of the earth in a distant eccentric orbit anti-aligned with the other six objects (orange) is required to maintain this configuration. Credit: Caltech/R. Hurt (IPAC); [Diagram created using WorldWide Telescope.]2016-01-20T19:00:34+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2016/01/18/more-planets-line-up-in-our-morning-sky/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/planetary_jan_19.jpgplanetary_jan_19January 2016: Planetary Positions - Area Between Lines of Sight Illustrates Area of Space We Seehttps://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/planets_view_earth_jan-25.jpgplanets_view_earth_jan-25January 2016: Five Planets Visible in the Pre-Dawn Sky2016-01-18T22:52:53+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2015/12/15/open-night-december-19/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/image.jpegimageDetail of Earth's Moon viewed through The Cooley Telescope2015-12-20T14:51:34+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2015/11/04/november-21-observatory-open-night/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/pleiades_pq9a3625.jpgpleiades_PQ9A3625The Pleiades - Messier 452015-11-22T23:45:21+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2015/11/04/impressive-train-of-sunspots/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/sunsunspots.jpgsun+sunspotsTrain of Sunspots, November 4, 20152015-11-05T00:33:01+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2015/10/21/halloween-asteroids-close-safe-flyby-offers-great-opportunity-for-radar-study/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/asteroid20151021-16.jpgasteroid20151021-16This is a graphic depicting the orbit of asteroid 2015 TB145. The asteroid will safely fly past Earth slightly farther out than the moon's orbit on Oct. 31 at 10:05 a.m. Pacific (1:05 p.m. EDT and 17:05 UTC). Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech2015-10-27T04:00:28+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2015/10/26/latest-solar-image/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/sun_3457.jpgsun_3457The Sun - October 26, 20152015-10-27T03:59:27+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2015/10/23/earliest-galaxies-may-have-helped-shape-the-universe/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/nasa-macsj0717.jpgHubble Frontier Fields view of MACSJ0717.5+3745This image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope shows the galaxy cluster MACSJ0717.5+3745. This is one of six being studied by the Hubble Frontier Fields programme, which together have produced the deepest images of gravitational lensing ever made. Due to the huge mass of the cluster it is bending the light of background objects, acting as a magnifying lens. It is one of the most massive galaxy clusters known, and it is also the largest known gravitational lens. Of all of the galaxy clusters known and measured, MACS J0717 lenses the largest area of the sky.2015-10-23T15:15:47+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2015/10/05/october-17-observatory-open-night/2015-10-17T23:06:11+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2015/09/21/september-27-total-lunar-eclipse-in-prime-time/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/lunar_eclipse_near_totality.jpglunar_eclipse_near_totality2007 Total Lunar Eclipsehttps://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/lunar_eclipse_2007.jpglunar_eclipse_20072007 Total Lunar Eclipsehttps://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/lunar-eclipse-timing.jpglunar-eclipse-timing2015-09-27T22:48:54+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2015/09/27/too-cloudy-to-see-the-total-lunar-eclipse-try-a-webcast/2015-09-27T20:34:40+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2015/09/09/september-19-international-observe-the-moon-night/2015-09-23T20:41:19+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2015/08/08/saturday-august-22-open-night/2015-08-23T12:07:40+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2015/08/13/perseid-meteor-shower-a-good-show/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/macneill_perseid_day_peak-2015.jpgmacneill_perseid_day_peak-20152015 Perseids Peak by Scott MacNeill, Frosty Drew Observatory, Charlestown, Rhode Island – http://exitpupil.org/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/ev_20150813_014258a_17a.pngev_20150813_014258A_17ALong Trail of a Perseid Fireball Recorded at 9:42 PM, August 12https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/ev_20150813_065911a_17a_flare.pngev_20150813_065911A_17A_flareApparent Perseid Bolide over Hiram at 2:59 AM EDT2015-08-14T02:07:19+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2015/05/12/former-observatory-director-robert-andress-jr/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/andress-with-vistor.jpgandress-with-vistorRobert Andress, Jr. with an Observatory Visitor During a 1975 Meeting of the Great Lakes Planetarium Association.https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/robert_andress_jr-2008.jpgRobert_Andress_Jr-2008Robert "Bob" Andress, Jr. During a Visit to Stephens in 20082019-05-10T22:40:49+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2015/07/14/saturday-july-25-observatory-open-night/2015-07-26T11:55:59+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2015/07/20/sunny-day-surprise/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/solar-structure_2140.jpgsolar-structure_2140Granular Sun - July 20, 20152015-07-20T23:18:37+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2015/07/14/pluto-at-last/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/clyde_tombaugh.jpgclyde_tombaughClyde Tombaughhttps://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/pluto_lorri_fullframe_color.pngpluto_lorri_fullframe_colorPortrait of a Mysterious World2015-07-15T20:36:04+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2015/06/28/jupiter-and-venus-converge-june-30/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/img_0306.jpgIMG_0306Jupiter and Venus Converge June 30 - Chart Courtesy Sky & Telescope2015-06-28T20:43:03+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2015/06/19/june-20-open-night/2015-06-21T19:22:46+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2015/05/30/the-hercules-globular-cluster/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/m13_1804.jpgM13_1804The Hercules Globular Cluster - M13 Through a Small Telescope2015-06-09T20:54:33+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2015/05/04/open-night-saturday-may-30/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/m13-small.jpgM13-small2015-05-31T10:49:30+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2015/05/07/weak-solar-cycle-not-this-week/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/sun_1701-cooley-scope.jpgsun_1701-cooley-scopeEarth's Sun - May 7, 2015 @ 12:23 PM EDT2015-05-07T21:22:31+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2015/05/02/nope-thats-not-a-full-moon/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/moon-pq9a0788.jpgmoon-PQ9A0788Waxing Gibbous Moon - Day Before Full2015-05-03T02:35:47+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2015/04/29/spacecraft-returns-images-hinting-of-surface-features-on-pluto-possible-polar-cap/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/new-horizons-stern_7.gifnew-horizons-stern_7Click for Full-Size View - Credits: NASA/JHU-APL/SwRI2015-04-30T00:46:32+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2015/04/24/luna-is-full-of-amazing-sights/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/moon_pq9a0590.jpgMoon_PQ9A0590The Waxing Gibbous Moon - Night Before First Quarter2015-04-30T00:26:17+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2015/04/14/saturday-april-25-open-night-see-moon-and-jupiter/2015-04-26T03:38:05+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2015/04/16/amateur-astronomy-group-given-major-observatory/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/ddo-landscape.gifDDO-landscapeDavid Dunlap Observatory2015-04-16T23:10:49+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2015/04/02/saturdays-eclipse-to-offer-not-much-of-a-show-for-us/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/beginning_8970-guilford.jpgbeginning_8970-guilfordPartial Phase Lunar Eclipse - Oct. 8, 2014https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/guilford-near_totality.jpgguilford-near_totalityEclipse Near Totality - September 18, 20132015-04-04T03:27:12+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2015/04/01/cold-night-great-view/2015-04-01T17:21:19+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.org/2015/04/01/under-construction/https://stephensobservatory.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/obs-construction-ca-1900-sm.jpgobs-construction-ca-1900-sm2015-04-01T17:11:25+00:00monthlyhttps://stephensobservatory.orgdaily1.02025-10-29T18:46:06+00:00