Open Night

No December open night

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Photo: Christmas Tree Cluster
This color image of the region known as NGC 2264 is an area of sky that includes the sparkling blue baubles of the Christmas Tree star cluster and the Cone Nebula. Image Credit: ESO

Well we give up! The skies and the calendar just are not coming into alignment for a December Open Night! Clouds and inclement weather (of various temperatures) are making stargazing impossible and have been plaguing us quite often this season. And there’s no way we would schedule a public event for Christmas Eve!

So we’ll say thanks for your interest and hope more clear skies come our way next year.

Normally at this point we bundle up the telescope for the winter and schedule nothing until March. If, however, the weather presents us with sufficient notice of good observing chances we may just present a “pop-up” Open Night before spring. We would love to show off the Orion Nebula through the old scope! Watch our Twitter feed and/or check back here after the holidays for any surprises.

At any rate, we hope you will have a safe and warm winter and a wonderful new year. For those who observe it, happy Christmas to you!

And for everyone, here is a beautiful image of the Christmas Tree star cluster, provided by the European Southern Observatory (ESO) to help make the season bright. Enjoy!

October 8: International Observe the Moon Night

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UPDATE: Only a handful of guests visited – too much competition from sports events – but those who came had superb views of Moon, good views of the Andromeda Galaxy and Perseus Double Cluster later.

Stephens Memorial Observatory of Hiram College will be open for public observing Saturday, October 8, from 7:00 to 9:00 PM. Focus of the night will be Earth’s Moon and part of this year’s International Observe the Moon Night.

International Observe the Moon Night (InOMN) is an annual worldwide public event that encourages observation, appreciation, and understanding of our Moon — the same moon seen around the world by all people.

While the Moon will be the “star” of the night, other night sky gems may also be offered for viewing through the observatory’s large vintage telescope.

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.

August 12: Special FRIDAY Open Night!

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Image: Saturn: August 12, 10:00 PM EDT - Simulated view via Gas Giants app
Saturn: August 12, 10:00 PM EDT – Simulated view via Gas Giants app

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.

Saturday, July 16: Open Night

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Image: Saturn and Moons - July 16, 2016 at about 10 PM EDT. Simulated view.
Saturn and Moons – July 16, 2016 at about 10 PM EDT. Simulated view.

Stephens Memorial Observatory of Hiram College will be open for public observing Saturday, July 16, from 9:30 to 11:00 PM. Beautiful ringed Saturn, Earth’s amazing Moon, and hopefully the M4 star cluster in Scorpius will be the featured objects. Mars is rapidly distancing itself from us and will likely be uninteresting in our telescope though we may take a look anyway.

Sky conditions, of course, will determine what we see and even whether we can see anything at all. We will hope for clear skies because Saturn still presents its ring system at an excellent tilt for viewing!

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. DO NOT park on nearby Peckham Avenue; parking is prohibited there and violators may be ticketed!

Open Night: Saturday, June 18

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Image: Simulated view of Saturn.
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.

Open Night: Saturday, May 14

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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.

Season Opener: April 16

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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.

Closed for winter

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Chalk this up to FAQ: We are closed for the winter and plan no Open Nights until mid- to late March. Cloudy skies, cold, inclement weather, hazardous driving (and walking) conditions prompt us to make this policy. We hope to publish a schedule of programs in late February or early March. Til then, check back here for some astronomy news, follow us on Twitter (see news feed at right), and on any clear night look up!