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Emil Buehler Observatory Public Observing Nights – Winter 2024 – 2025
December 2024 (6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.)
13th – Moon, Jupiter, Saturn, Almach, M45 (Pleiades), M31 (Andromeda Galaxy), M42 (Orion Nebula), M44 (Beehive Cluster), NGC 869 & NGC 884 (Double Cluster).
January 2025 (6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.)
3rd – Moon, Jupiter, Saturn, Sirius, Almach, M45 (Pleiades), M42 (Orion Nebula), M35 (Open Cluster), NGC 869 & NGC 884 (Double Cluster).
10th – Moon, Jupiter, Saturn, Sirius, Almach, M45 (Pleiades), M42 (Orion Nebula), M35 (Open Cluster), NGC 869 & NGC 884 (Double Cluster).
17th – Jupiter, Saturn, Sirius, Almach, M45 (Pleiades), M42 (Orion Nebula), M35 (Open Cluster), NGC 869 & NGC 884 (Double Cluster).
24th – Jupiter, Saturn, Sirius, Almach, M45 (Pleiades), M31 (Andromeda Galaxy), M42 (Orion Nebula), M44 (Beehive Cluster), NGC 869 & NGC 884 (Double Cluster).
31st – Moon, Jupiter, Saturn, Sirius, Almach, M45 (Pleiades), M31 (Andromeda Galaxy), M42 (Orion Nebula), M44 (Beehive Cluster), NGC 869 & NGC 884 (Double Cluster).
February 2025 (6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.)
7th – Moon, Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Sirius, Almach, M45 (Pleiades), M31 (Andromeda Galaxy), M42 (Orion Nebula), M44 (Beehive Cluster), NGC 869 & NGC 884 (Double Cluster).
14th – Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Sirius, Almach, M45 (Pleiades), M31 (Andromeda Galaxy), M42 (Orion Nebula), M44 (Beehive Cluster), NGC 869 & NGC 884 (Double Cluster).
21st – Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Sirius, Almach, M45 (Pleiades), M31 (Andromeda Galaxy), M42 (Orion Nebula), M44 (Beehive Cluster), NGC 869 & NGC 884 (Double Cluster).
28th – Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Sirius, Almach, M45 (Pleiades), M31 (Andromeda Galaxy), M42 (Orion Nebula), M44 (Beehive Cluster), NGC 869 & NGC 884 (Double Cluster).
Key:
M31 – The Andromeda Galaxy.
M13 – A globular cluster in Hercules.
M57 – Ring Nebula in Lyra.
NGC 457 – An open cluster in Cassiopeia.
NGC 869 & NGC 884 – Double cluster in Cassiopeia.
M45 – The Pleiades is an open cluster in Taurus and the cluster most obvious to the naked eye.
Mizar & Alcor – Visual binary in Ursa Major. Mizar is a quadruple star system and Alcor is a binary (A sextuple system).
Arcturus – A bright, orange star.
Vega – A bright, blue-white star.
Sirius – A bright white star, the brightest in the sky at a distance of 8 light years.
Almach – A quadruple star system including a bright, orange star and a dimmer, blue star (actually 3 stars).
M42 – The Orion Nebula is one of the brightest nebulae and the closest region of massive star formation to Earth.
Albireo – A triple star system including a bright, yellow (actually a close binary0 and a fainter blue companion.
A question mark after a listed object means that it is becoming difficult to see because it is near the horizon and/or at the limit the telescope can resolve it (see it clearly). The list of objects mentioned for each date may be modified due to viewing conditions.
Just as our eyes cannot see through clouds, our optical telescope cannot either. We make every effort to stay open, but nature sometimes has different plans for the night sky. Please check the sky conditions and wait for dark before you travel to visit us.