Simulated view of Saturn and a few of its moons as they will appear June 18, 2016. Click for bigger view!
Stephens Memorial Observatory of Hiram College will be open for public observing Saturday, June 18, from 9:30 to 11:00 PM.
Beautiful ringed Saturn, planet Mars, Earth’s amazing Moon, and (if the Moon doesn’t interfere) the Ring Nebula will be the featured objects.
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 or on nearby Peckham Avenue. Visitors may park on permissible side streets near the Post Office, a short distance east of the observatory.
UPDATE: Due to current and predicted overcast sky conditions and the high probability of inclement weather, tonight’s planned Open Night has been CANCELED. Let’s hope for much better conditions the night of June 18 when we hope to see Saturn and Mars, as well as other amazing things! – 5/14/2016 @ 4:30 PM
Stephens Memorial Observatory of Hiram College is to be open for public observing Saturday, May 14, from 9:00 to 11:00 PM. As is so often the case, however, predicted weather conditions for this event do not look good; cloudy skies with rain chances are expected. If the sky is very cloudy, the open night event will be canceled and the observatory will not be open. Check back for updates and a final decision and announcement to be made Saturday.
The always-impressive First Quarter Moon will be featured as well as brilliant planet Jupiter and its moons. Given time and visibility, M13: the Great Globular Cluster of constellation Hercules, will also be viewed.
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.
UPDATE: In all, 24 people of various ages shared views of Jupiter and Earth’s Moon over the course of the evening. The Moon’s brightness drown out dimmer objects but views of its surface thrilled and delighted visitors.
What better way to celebrate winter’s end and de-stress for Tax Day than to enjoy a look at a beautiful night sky? While winter’s end and Tax Day are certain, we can only hope the sky will be clear the night of April 16 as we host our first Open Night of 2016. Hours are 9:00 to 11:00 PM, a late start due to Daylight Saving Time.
Given clear sky, two stunning sights of the night sky await us: first, the intriguing waxing Gibbous Moon; a little later, brilliant Jupiter only a month past its closest approach this year! Given time and visibility, we will also seek out M44 the Beehive open star cluster, and M13: the Great Globular Cluster of constellation Hercules.
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.
UPDATE: Due to cloud cover and inclement weather, this program has been canceled; the observatory WILL NOT be open.
The Pleiades – Messier 45
Stephens Memorial Observatory of Hiram College will be open to the public on Saturday, November 21, from 7:00 to 9:00 PM. On the observing list for the night are: the Moon, the Pleiades and Hyades star clusters, and possibly other celestial objects.
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. For updates and more information, return here or follow “@StephensObs” on Twitter.
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.
If local conditions don’t allow viewing tonight’s total lunar eclipse or if you just can’t get out, try one of the several live webcasts. Seeing the eclipse would be much better “in person,” but watching via computer or TV is better than nothing!
UPDATE:ECLIPSE WATCH EVENT CANCELED: Due to very poor sky conditions we feel must CANCEL tonight’s planned lunar eclipse watch and stargazing event. Forecasts call for occasional breaks in the overcast but their expected rarity and random nature would make for a poor viewing experience. Rain chances increase at about the time when the eclipse reaches maximum. Since the eclipse can be viewed without the use of a telescope, checking the skies for occasional breaks would be wise. Use the eclipse timing chart below to check the sky at critical points. Still want to see the eclipse, even if it’s via computer, tablet, or television? Check this item for resources!
SPECIAL PUBLIC EVENT: VIEWING THE TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE. This public observing event will take place at the Hiram Village playing field, across from the Municipal Building and behind the Hiram Historical Society. Hours are 8:30 to 12:30. There is no fee and no reservations are required. Attendees may come and go at will — see timing chart below. Click here for Google Maps. The Observatory will NOT be open for this event.
During the eclipse we plan to have one or more telescopes available for viewing of the Moon and, as the sky darkens, visible stars, planets, and other wonders of the night sky. This is an outdoor event so visitors should dress accordingly; flashlights will help find the way but please point downward so as not to spoil others’ night vision. Of course, inclement weather or overcast skies will cancel our viewing of the eclipse. Special thanks to Mayor Lou Bertrand and the Village of Hiram for allowing our nighttime use of the playing field.
On the night of September 27, 2015 Earth’s shadow will cross the face of its Moon and viewers across North America will be treated to a total lunar eclipse. We, in Northeastern Ohio, are in luck this time as the entire eclipse will be visible to us and in “prime time” — a marvelous and relatively rare situation! Click here for a printable event flyer.
As the partial phase of the eclipse begins, at 9:07 PM, viewers will see the Full Moon gradually covered by the dark portion of Earth’s shadow. As the Moon moves deeper into shadow it will begin to glow a copper-red until at totality,10:11 PM, Luna will hang colorfully in our star-sprinkled sky. As the eclipse ends, the process reverses until in the wee hours of Monday, the Full Moon will brightly shine again. Click here for a detailed, somewhat technical chart.
If you cannot join us for the public event, use the table below and watch from your back yard — you don’t even need a telescope! All you need is to be able to see the Moon and we’ll all hope for clear skies!
Please note that, on the Web and in the media, there may be confusion over the time and date of the eclipse event. The table above is correct for our Northern Ohio location.
The Waxing Gibbous Moon – Night Before First Quarter
UPDATE: It was a confusing night with the sky quickly changing from clear to overcast, overcast to clear, and so on! In all 14 folks took a chance and came out. Trees and clouds blocked our view of the Moon on, of all things, International Observe the Moon Night! Patient visitors did receive views of the Andromeda Galaxy, and the Perseus Double Cluster. The last to leave observed the path of the Milky Way’s star stream overhead and the dark areas created by interstellar dust clouds!
Stephens Memorial Observatory of Hiram College will be open to the public on Saturday, September 19, from 9:00 to 11:00 PM as a local venue of International Observe the Moon Night (InOMN).
The InOMN is an annual, world-wide public engagement program that encourages observation, appreciation, and understanding of Earth’s Moon. Everyone on Earth is invited to join the celebration by attending an InOMN event — and uniting on one day each year to look at and learn about the Moon together. This year’s InOMN takes place just one week ahead of the much-anticipated total lunar eclipse taking place the night of Sunday, September 27.
No reservations are required and there is no admission fee for observatory public nights. Overcast skies or inclement weather at the starting time cancel the event and, in that case, the observatory will not open. For updates and more information, see the observatory’s Web site: StephensObservatory.org or “@StephensObs” on Twitter.
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.
Click here for a handy map showing the Moon as it will appear during InOMN with some interesting features highlighted!
Moon in Daylight SkyUPDATE: The August 22 Open Night was a tremendous success seeing 49 visitors overall! Early arrivals were not only treated to good to excellent views of Earth’s Moon but fair to good sightings of Saturn and several of its moons as well! Over the course of the night we were able to observe open star clusters M6 (Butterfly), M7 (Ptolemy’s) in Sagittarius, and the Double Cluster in Perseus; globular clusters M28, and M22 in Sagittarius; and the Andromeda Galaxy or M31 as catalogued by Messier. The exploration ended, nearly on time, as clouds moved in from the southwest obliterating our viewing of “faint fuzzies” like globular clusters! Thanks to all who attended!
Stephens Memorial Observatory of Hiram College will be open to the public on Saturday, August 22, from 9:00 to 11:00 PM. On the observing list for the night are: the First Quarter Moon (early), and a couple of star clusters including M4 in Scorpius, finishing with the Andromeda Galaxy (late). Please note that the Moon will become obscured by neighboring trees before the end of open hours; arrive early if you wish to see it!
Clear skies are a necessity for viewing of faint objects like star clusters so visitors should keep up on current weather conditions: cloudy skies at the starting time cancel the event and, in that case, the observatory will not open. Check back here or via the observatory’s Twitter account for late Open Night status! Our Twitter handle is: @StephensObs
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 of Hiram College will be open to the public on Saturday, July 25, from 9:30 to 11:00 PM. On the observing list for the night are: the Moon, ringed world Saturn, and star cluster M4 in Scorpius.
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.
UPDATE: Due to severe and inclement weather the scheduled May 30 Open Night has been canceled. Severe thunderstorms were reported in northern portions of Portage County along with strong winds and heavy rains. Radar was tracking other storms expected to reach the Hiram area.
Stephens Memorial Observatory of Hiram College will be open to the public on Saturday, May 30, from 9:00 to 11:00 PM. On the observing list for the night are: the Moon, star cluster M13 in Hercules, and, later, the Ring Nebula. 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. Watch for updates here and via Twitter @StephensAstro for the latest.
Stephens Memorial Observatory 