Star clusters, nebulae and the colorful double star Alberio will all be viewable at the three fall open houses of the Osten Observatory at Concordia University, Nebraska.

Visitors will be able to view the planets and stars through Concordia’s computer-controlled telescope. Professor of Physics Dr. Robert Hermann will share a brief explanation of each item, and visitors may ask questions. Viewing all objects takes approximately 15 to 25 minutes.

“Looking through a telescope to see features on these objects that are familiar and yet so different from anything you see on Earth gives people a personal connection to the objects in a way that nothing else can,” Hermann said. “It is the best way to get the sense of awe and wonder about the beauty and magnificence of the universe.”
 
The open houses will feature a look at the remains of a burned out star called the Ring Nebula, a cluster of thousands of stars and a view of Alberio, a colorful double star. In addition, Saturn may be viewable at the Sept. 1 open house, Neptune will be visible on Oct. 6 and Andromeda, our neighbor galaxy with hundreds of billions of stars, will be shown on Nov. 3.