The UW-River Falls Society of Physics students will open the UWRF observatory for free public stargazing on Monday, Oct. 7, from 8-10 p.m. All ages are welcome. UWRF file photo.
 

Next public telescope session Oct. 7

Sept. 30, 2024 - The University of Wisconsin-River Falls Society of Physics students will host a free open telescope session on Monday, Oct. 7, from 8-10 p.m. All ages are welcome.

A waxing crescent Moon will provide nice shadows for features to be seen by those arriving early, otherwise gaze at Saturn and its beautiful rings nearly edge-on, globular star clusters, the Andromeda galaxy, binary stars, and hope to be lucky enough to witness a rare (every 80 years) nova in T Coronae Borealis, predicted with 95% chance to go nuclear sometime this Fall.

Extra telescopes will be set up out in the grass below the observatory deck to avoid any long waiting in line up the stairs to the dome.

Faculty and students will be on hand to point the telescopes and answer any questions about what you see, point out prominent constellations and specific bright stars.

The UWRF observatory is located on the south side of Centennial Science Hall, 511 S. 6th St., River Falls. Enter the building through that south door and take the elevator or stairs up to the third floor observatory lobby then go outside into the dome or out on the observing deck. 

For more information, visit uwrf.edu/PHYS/Observatory.cfm.