Osten Observatory hosts spring open houses

The Moon, Jupiter and the Great Orion Nebula were the focus of a five-night open house at Concordia’s Osten Observatory. The observatory opened from 8 to 9:30 p.m. March 17-21.

On each evening, viewers were able to take a close-up look at the Moon and Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system. Four of Jupiter’s moons were also visible. Several collections of stars were seen including the Great Orion Nebula, a region where new stars are forming, and a globular cluster with thousands of stars all together. The nearby Whirlpool Galaxy was also visible.

No set program was in place for the open houses; viewers had the opportunity to come and go as they pleased. Led by Professor of Physics Dr. Robert Hermann, each visitor had the chance to cycle through each celestial object.

The observatory is located at the northeast corner of campus along East Hillcrest Drive. The observatory and 16-inch computer-controlled telescope were gifted to Concordia in 2002 by 1933 alumnus Reuben Osten and his wife, Doris.