The Astronomy and Physics Department will hold its first observa-

tory open house of the quarter tonight at 9 at the University

Observatory.

If the skies are clear, the observatory will open the dome to its 24-

inch telescope, and set up additional telescopes around the facility.

Sightseers may be able to see planets such as Jupiter, Saturn, Venus,

Uranus and Neptune.

“Late September and early October are good months to observe the

planets because almost every one of them is up and visible,” said

astronomer Scott Shaw. He said the event is free.

Shaw said the open house was made possible through renovations

made last year by the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences.

Astronomer Loris Majnani said he believes people will be very

impressed watching the planets.

“With Jupiter, you can see the upper atmosphere, and it is truly

amazing,” Majnani said. “It is very pretty and very different.”

If people are particularly interested in seeing Saturn, students are

encouraged to arrive around 11 p.m.

If weather doesn’t permit, the focus will turn to a 30-minute lecture

titled “Planets, Planets, Planets.”

– Elisa Bongiovanni