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

As we celebrate the Fourth of July with dazzling fireworks, remember that the universe has its own spectacular light shows! From colorful nebulae to exploding stars called supernovae, the cosmos has been putting on fireworks displays for billions of years.


We will be open both Friday, July 3rd & Saturday, July 4th from 9pm-11pm (weather permitting) to honor the stars, stripes & starlight! 

We know that a lot of you will be celebrating on July 4th with your families & many of our docents will be doing the same thing, but we will still be open with a minimal staff Saturday evening.


The moon won’t be rising until after we close which will provide us with incredible dark skies both evenings.

Venus is still prominent in the night sky & will be available to view, but Mercury & Jupiter are now quite low on the horizon. 



This Fourth of July, let's celebrate with some stellar science!

Did you know stars come in different colors?

A star's color tells astronomers a lot about its temperature and life stage.


Red stars are the coolest stars with surface temperatures of about 4,500–6,300°F. Antares (The bright red heart of Scorpius the scorpion) is a great example that you can see this weekend at the observatory.

One of the most fascinating things about red stars is that some of them are nearing the end of their lives. Once they run out of fuel to support themselves, their cores collapse in a fraction of a second which triggers a supernova… one of the most energetic firework displays in the universe.


White stars have intermediate temperatures, typically around 13,500–18,000°F. They appear bright white because they emit a fairly balanced mix of visible colors.


Blue stars are the hottest stars in the universe, with surface temperatures exceeding 18,000°F and sometimes reaching 72,000°F or MORE! They burn through their fuel quickly and have relatively short lifespans. Spica (the brightest star in the constellation Virgo) is a blue star with an incredibly hot surface temperature of about 40,000°F. 


Whether you're watching fireworks or simply enjoying the stars, we hope you have a safe and wonderful Fourth of July! 


Be sure to check our website (communityobservatory.com) after 3 PM on the day you plan to visit. If we are going to have a weather or smoke closure we will announce it by then. Expect to pay the college $2 to park.


Image of M41 taken by Lead Docent Randy Hodges. 



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