Open Night Tonight (Saturday, June 24)
Stephens Observatory
Stephens Memorial Observatory of Hiram College will be open for public observing Saturday, June 24, from 9:30 to 11:00 PM. Featured tonight will be Jupiter, Saturn, and the Ring Nebula. Other objects of interest may also be viewed.
Jupiter should become visible even before the sky completely darkens. There may be a significant wait until planet Saturn clears neighboring trees and the sky darkens enough for viewing. Later still, the Ring Nebula should be seen but full nighttime darkness is required.
The night's observing depends upon clear skies and tonight's partly-cloudy conditions ought to be fine for Jupiter and Saturn -- providing the partly-cloud isn't between us and those planets! The Ring Nebula is a "faint fuzzy" and is easier for weather to hide but we'll hope for a break.
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.