MIDDLEBURY — Middlebury College Observatory and Middlebury Physics will again host stargazing open house nights this autumn. These Observatory events are scheduled for Friday evenings, Sept. 16 and Sept. 30, from 8-9:30 p.m. and are weather permitting.
Saturn and Mars will be in the evening sky on these dates. A variety of interesting stars, star clusters and nebulae will also be visible through the Observatory’s telescopes. The Observatory includes a 24-inch telescope in a dome and smaller telescopes on the roof.
The Observatory is located atop McCardell Bicentennial Hall on the west side of the Middlebury College campus. To reach the Observatory, follow Route 125 west from the Middlebury village center, through campus, and down the hill. Turn right on Bicentennial Way toward the parking lot, enter the building, and take the elevator to the 7th and top floor.
Observatory open house nights are free and open to the public. However, they will take place only if the sky is expected to be mostly clear.
Check the Observatory website at http://go.middlebury.edu/observatory/ or call 443-2266 after 6 p.m. on the evening of the event for weather status.