What can you expect to see at the Community Observatory this weekend?


This weekend, April 3rd and 4th, offers a transitional sky—one foot in winter’s rich constellations and the other stepping into the treasures of spring.

The Moon will be in its waxing gibbous phase, bright enough to dominate the sky when it rises around 10 PM but still leaving a window for darker-sky observing earlier in the night. Visitors early in the session will have the best chance to catch fainter deep-sky objects before moonlight begins to wash them out.

To the west, the familiar winter constellations are beginning their seasonal exit. Orion will still be visible shortly after sunset, giving us one of the last good opportunities this season to observe the stunning Orion Nebula. Nearby, Taurus and the Pleiades continue to sparkle, though they’ll dip below the horizon earlier each night. The image of the Pleiades is a recent one from my backyard. You might see something similar if you ask the docent at the east scope in the Observatory to target it on the big screen.

Looking overhead and toward the east, spring constellations are taking center stage. Leo is now prominent, with its bright star Regulus marking the heart of the lion. This region of the sky opens the door to a wealth of distant galaxies, including members of the Leo Triplet for those viewing through larger telescopes.

Planet-wise, Jupiter remains a highlight in the early evening sky, shining brightly and offering views of its cloud bands and Galilean moons through the observatory’s telescopes.

As always, viewing conditions will depend on the weather. It is looking like the weather may give us a break with some clear skies, but as always be sure to check our website (communityobservatory.com) after 3 PM each open day in case the Lead Docent determines we need to stay closed that evening. Be prepared to pay $2 to the college for parking. 

We hope to see you at the observatory!

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