Hiram – Stephens Memorial Observatory of Hiram College will be open for public observing Saturday, April 22, from 9:00 to 11:00 PM; that will be the first scheduled Open Night of the 2017 season. The “star” of the night will be planet Jupiter, brilliant in our southeast evening sky. Observers should also see the M3 star cluster and later, the Hercules Cluster, and (with some luck) Comet C/2015 V2. Other objects of interest may also be viewed.
Of course, all of the night’s observing depends upon clear skies and those have been in short supply this spring! Cloudy skies at the starting time cancel the event and, in that case, the observatory will not open. 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.
