Observatory at Harper College open for viewings this fall

Summer may be winding down, but Harper College is still offering front-row seats for some blockbuster celestial shows.

Through mid-November, the College will host close-up viewings of the night sky at the Karl G. Henize Observatory on the College’s main campus, 1200 W. Algonquin Road in Palatine.

The viewings, which take place from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. on select Saturdays, allow visitors to stargaze through Harper’s large main telescope in the observatory dome or view the cosmos through other telescopes arranged by observatory staff and astronomy club volunteers nearby. Volunteers also will be on hand to help interpret the sights.

Viewings, which are free and open to the community, are scheduled for Sept. 10, Sept. 24, Oct. 8, Oct. 22, Nov. 5 and Nov. 19.

Visitors can also take a short walking tour of the sun and planets through Harper’s permanent outdoor solar system model. The sun and planets each have an exhibit featuring an overview, images and fun facts. The model is on a one-to-10 billion scale, so the stations are spaced apart just as the sun and its system of planets are, only at one 10-billionith of the actual distance.

The Observatory (Building O) is located on the north side of campus near parking lot 8. It will not be open in the rain or inclement weather. For more information, visit harpercollege.edu.