Friday Night Open House

Free Public Open Houses are held on Sommers-Bausch Observatory's Observing Deck on Friday evenings (weather permitting) throughout the Spring, Summer, and Fall Semesters whenever the University of Colorado is in session. The program at the Observatory is informal: you can stop by anytime after we open and stay as long as you wish (or until we drive you out!). Sessions typically last from 2 hours to 3 hours, depending upon the weather, the quality of the night, and the enthusiasm and size of the crowd.… Show more There is no charge for the Observatory's Open House nights ... the stars are free to everyone! In addition to SBO's pier-mounted 16-inch and 18-inch telescopes, we also have tripod-mounted binoculars and the world's largest starwheel (well, at least we think it is) for identifying bright stars and constellations. Depending upon the staffing on a particular night, we may be able to offer you a chance to visit the 24-inch telescope ... that mysterious tube hiding inside the dome ... as well additional smaller telescopes set up on the open deck for looking at the Moon and other bright celestial objects.

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