Public Viewing

PUBLIC VIEWING SESSIONS

The Cline Observatory is open to the public for viewing every Friday night throughout the year as weather permits.

In addition to viewing through the 24-inch telescope under the dome, we will have a variety of telescopes set up on our outside observing pad.

The viewings begin at 7 p.m. November to February. From March to October, they start 30 to 45 minutes after sunset (determine sunset time for a particular date and see month-specific information below). Sessions usually last about two hours but may run longer or shorter depending on interest and sky conditions. Our sessions are unstructured – there's no program – just telescopic viewing.

Note that the observatory is open to the night air, and so will be cold in the winter and warm in the summer. Be sure to dress for the conditions.

For updates about how weather or other issues will affect this week’s session, check our Twitter Updates Page @gtccastro.

For other questions about the observatory and its programs, contact Tom English at trenglish@gtcc.edu or 336-334-4822, ext. 50023.

Public night viewings are free, and the observatory is open to anyone who wishes to attend. No reservations are necessary. There are no limits on the number of attendees, but we do ask that you let us know well ahead of time if you plan to bring a large group.

Public Viewing Schedule

September sessions start as darkness falls on Friday evenings (around 8:30 p.m.). Sessions last about two hours and are held if weather permits. We will have a variety of telescopes set up on our outside observing pad. (The main telescope in the observatory is under repair.)

Date Observing Program

Sept. 6

Feature: Globular Cluster M22 in Sagittarius
Observing targets include: assorted clusters, nebulae, and double stars
Moon: Not visible

Sept. 13

Feature: Rasalgethi – double star in Hercules
Other targets include: Assorted clusters, nebulae, and double stars (somewhat limited by the bright moonlight), Saturn
Moon: Waxing Gibbous Moon visible throughout the session

Sept. 20

Feature: Saturn
Other targets include: Nebulae and open clusters along the Milky Way, assorted double stars, globular clusters, Andromeda Galaxy
Moon: Waning Gibbous Moon rises late in the session

Sept. 27

Feature: M8, the Lagoon Nebula
Other targets include: Venus (at the start of the session), assorted open clusters, double stars, globular clusters, Saturn, Andromeda Galaxy
Moon: Not visible during the session

Sessions will continue in October.

October sessions start as darkness falls on Friday evenings (around 8 p.m. early in the month but shifting to around 7 p.m. by month’s end). Sessions last about two hours and are held if weather permits. We will have a variety of telescopes set up on our outside observing pad.

Date Observing Program

Oct. 4

Feature: Globular Cluster M22 in Sagittarius
Observing targets include: Saturn, Venus (at the start of the session), Andromeda Galaxy, assorted clusters, nebulae, and double stars
Moon: Very thin crescent sets before session starts

Oct. 11

Feature: The Moon
Other targets include: Saturn, Venus (at the start of the session), assorted clusters, nebulae, and double stars
Moon: Waxing Gibbous Moon visible throughout the session

Oct. 18

Feature: Double Star Albireo
Other targets include: Double stars, bright clusters, Saturn, Venus
Moon: Bright Waning Gibbous Moon visible throughout the session will limit views of faint objects

Oct. 25
(Observing will begin after the Jo Cline Memorial Lecture.)

Feature: M57, the Ring Nebula
Other targets include: Saturn, Venus (at the start of the session), assorted clusters, nebulae, and double stars, Andromeda Galaxy
Moon: Not visible during the session

Sessions will continue in November.

November sessions start at 7 p.m. on Friday evenings. Sessions last about two hours and are held if weather permits. We will have a variety of telescopes set up on our outside observing pad.

Date Observing Program

Nov. 1

Feature: M11, the Wild Duck Cluster
Observing targets include: Saturn, Venus (at the start of the session), assorted clusters, nebulae, and double stars
Moon: Not visible during the session

Nov. 8

 Feature: The E.T. Cluster – open cluster in Cassiopeia
Other targets include: Double stars, bright clusters and nebulae, Saturn, Andromeda Galaxy
Moon: First Quarter Moon visible throughout the session

Nov. 15

 Feature: Perseus Double Cluster
Other targets include: Double stars, bright clusters, Saturn
Moon: Bright Full Moon visible throughout the session – will limit views of faint objects

7 p.m. Nov. 20

 Virtual lecture: "The Last Stargazers" by Emily Levesque (lecture only, no observing). Find out more.

Nov. 22

 Feature: M31, the Andromeda Galaxy
Other targets include: Double stars, assorted clusters and nebulae, Saturn
Moon: not visible during the session

Nov. 29

Feature: Giant Planet Grand Tour
Observing targets include: Double stars, assorted clusters and nebulae, Andromeda Galaxy
Moon: Not visible during the session

Sessions will continue in December.

Note: The observatory is open on clear Friday nights throughout the year.

  

Special Viewing Sessions – Eclipses, Transits, Etc.

Occasionally, Cline Observatory holds viewing sessions for special events such as eclipses, transits, or other remarkable astronomical phenomena. These sessions are presented in the same manner as our Friday public viewings, though if the situation requires, we may shift our portable telescopes to other locations on campus.

As with our Friday public viewings, all Cline Observatory special viewing sessions are free and open to anyone with an interest in astronomy.

Past special sessions:

  • Partial Solar Eclipse April 8, 2024
  • Partial Solar Eclipse Oct. 14, 2023
  • Total Lunar Eclipse May 15, 2022 (cloudy)
  • Total Lunar Eclipse Jan. 20, 2019
  • Expedition to Newberry, SC for Total Solar Eclipse of Aug. 21, 2017
  • Partial Solar Eclipse Oct. 23, 2014
  • Venus Transit June 5, 2012
  • Lunar Eclipse Dec. 10, 2010 (cloudy)
  • Total Lunar Eclipse Feb. 21, 2008
  • Total Lunar Eclipse  March 3, 2007
  • Mercury Transit  Nov. 8, 2006 (cloudy)
  • Total Lunar Eclipse  Oct. 27, 2004
  • Venus Transit  June 6, 2004 (cloudy)

Transits of Venus & Mercury

Three hundred visitors came to GTCC to observe the 2012 Venus Transit – a phenomenon that will not be seen on Earth again until 2117. For more information about this event and other transits, see our Transits page.

Lunar and Solar Eclipses

Cline Observatory is open for viewing lunar and solar eclipses visible in our area. Details about upcoming eclipses will be posted on our Eclipses page.

Meteor Showers

Cline Observatory DOES NOT hold special sessions for meteor showers because they are best observed without telescopes, and are usually best seen from dark locations between midnight and dawn.

The American Meteor Society provides an annual meteor shower calendar,  guides to visual observation of meteors, and weekly updates on meteor activity.  The International Meteor Organization provides annual shower calendars, visual meteor observing resources, and regular outlooks on meteor activity.