Observatory Open for Public Viewing

The new Westmont observatory, which houses the powerful Keck Telescope, will be available for a free, public viewing Friday, March 19, beginning at 7:30 p.m.. Viewers may catch a glimpse of Saturn and its rings after 9 p.m. After the sun goes down, the red surface of Mars may become visible as well. Star gazers may also enjoy spying on several galaxies in Leo, Virgo and Coma Berenices. There will be several open clusters in the winter Milky Way in the constellations of Gemini, Auriga and Canis Major. A few globular clusters may become visible in the east later in the evening. Members of the Astronomical Unit of the Santa Barbara Natural History Museum will bring their own telescopes for visitors to look through. The public viewings are held every third Friday of the month.