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Emil Buehler Observatory Public Viewing Nights – Winter 2026
*Weather Permitting – A Public Viewing Night will be cancelled in the event of rain or clouds. For more details, please email Sean McLearie at [email protected].*
January 2026 (6:30 to 9:30 p.m.)
January 16 – Jupiter, Saturn, Almach, M-45, M-42, M-35, NGC-869 and NGC-884.
January 23 – Moon, Jupiter, Saturn, Almach, M-45, M-44, M-42, M-31, NGC-869 and NGC-884.
February 2026 (6:30 to 9:30 p.m.)
February 6 – Jupiter, Saturn, Sirius, Almach, M-45, M-44, M-42, M-31, NGC-869 and NGC-884.
February 13 – Jupiter, Saturn, Sirius, Almach, M-45, M-44, M-42, M-31, NGC-869 and NGC-884.
February 20 – Moon, Jupiter, Mars, Neptune, Sirius, Almach, M-45, M-44, M-42, M-31, NGC-869 and NGC-884.
February 27 – Moon, Jupiter, Sirius, Almach, M-45, M-44, M-42, M-31, NGC-869 and NGC-884.
Key:
M-13 – Globular Cluster in Hercules.
M-31 – The Andromeda Galaxy.
M-35 – Open Cluster.
M-42 – The Orion Nebula is one of the brightest nebulae and the closest region of massive star formation to Earth.
M-44 – The Beehive Cluster.
M-45 – The Pleiades is an open cluster in Taurus and the cluster most obvious to the naked eye.
M-57 – Ring Nebula in Lyra.
M-81 – Bode’s Galaxy.
NGC-457 – An open cluster in Cassiopeia.
NGC-869 & NGC-884 – Double cluster in Cassiopeia.
Albireo – A triple star system including a bright, yellow (actually a close binary0 and a fainter blue companion.
Almach – A quadruple star system including a bright, orange star and a dimmer, blue star (actually 3 stars).
Arcturus – A bright, orange star.
Mizar & Alcor – Visual binary in Ursa Major. Mizar is a quadruple star system and Alcor is a binary (A sextuple system).
Sirius – A bright white star, the brightest in the sky at a distance of 8 light years.
Vega – A bright, blue-white star.
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.