at the

Cronyn Observatory

University of Western Ontario

Public Nights run from late October through mid-December and Mid-January through early April. This activity is oriented toward groups, and reservations must be made in advance by calling 661-2111 ext 86708. Although the program varies depending on the leader, typically it consists of a talk or demonstration in the Physics-Astronomy building followed by a walk across campus to the Cronyn Observatory to view celestial objects through the telescope. All kinds of groups enjoy this activity: Scouts, church groups, nature clubs, school classes, and so on. But our manpower is limited, and we can only handle one group per week, so call early in the term to make your reservations.

Open House is run every Saturday evening during the months of June, July, and August. No reservations needed here; come and go as you please. Start time is 20:30 (8:30 p.m.). Closing time is 23:00 (11:00 p.m.). This is a time to view the skies through the telescope and to pose your favorite questions to the astronomer hosting the evening. Objects viewed vary with the season, but might include the moon, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, binary stars, star clusters, planetary nebulae, or galaxies. There is nothing like seeing these things with your own eyes!

In the event of cloudy skies, the observatory will still be open for slides and a look at the telescopes, and closing time might be earlier.

We often have members of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada on hand with their portable telescopes set up on our front lawn. So if you're interested in doing some astronomy as a hobby, these are the people to talk to.

Our research observatory is north of London, but not generally open for visitors.

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D.F. Gray, April 1996