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June Programs
Spring Constellations — The mythology and science behind star patterns in the Spring sky above Lincoln. [Runs when the sky is clear and there is no moon.] Run time: approximately 20 minutes.
Earth’s Nearest Neighbor — A new program about the moon, runs only on evenings when the moon is visible. Run time: 21 minutes.
Jupiter — The latest science from the Juno Mission to the Solar System’s largest planet, which moves into our evening sky this month. Run time: 20 minutes.
Cassini’s View of Saturn (runs when Saturn enters the evening sky at the end of June) — The last science from the Cassini spacecraft that crashed into Saturn last year. Run time: 22 minutes.
Your Window on the Universe
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Our Telescopes
Featuring views of the night skies through our 3 Telescopes!
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Presentations & Programs
Astronomy Presentations every Saturday Night!
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It's all FREE
There is NO ADMISSION CHARGE
HOURS
We’re open every Saturday year-round.
Hyde may be closed if Saturday falls on or very near a major holiday. If in doubt call first: (402) 441-7094.
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March 15-August 31
Sundown to 11 PM
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September 1-30
8 PM to 11 PM
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October 1-March 14
7 PM to 10 PM
What we’re looking at through the observatory’s telescopes in June:
The Planets
Venus reaches its highest altitude above the Sun on June 6. Then, it begins to slowly sink back towards the west; we’ll lose about 15 minutes of viewing time by the end of June, but that still leaves us almost all evening to view Venus through the telescopes. At magnitude -4.1, it is the brightest object in the evening sky except for the moon. Venus exhibits phases like our moon, and right now it looks like a tiny gibbous moon in a telescope. It shows virtually no detail in its thick cloudy atmosphere. Jupiter is on view all evening long. With its constantly changing cloud belts, the Great Red Spot, and 4 Galilean moons, the solar system’s largest planet is a fascinating spectacle in the Hyde telescopes. Saturn will be high enough in the East to view through our telescopes late in the evening starting June 16.
The Moon
On Saturday public nights this month: June 2 — Between Full and 3rd Quarter, the moon rises after the Observatory closes. June 9 — Approaching New Moon, it’s a crescent just before sunrise, out of view during the evening. June 16 — Approaching First Quarter. Venus is 2 degrees North of the crescent moon, a beautiful sight. This will be an excellent night to look at the moon through the observatory’s telescopes because it will be in the sky all evening, and the terminator (boundary between light and dark) will provide stark contrast for lunar surface features. June 23 — A gibbous moon between First Quarter and Full. The second-best lunar viewing Saturday night in June. June 30 — Just past Full moon, the moon rises just as the Observatory is closing at 11:00 p.m
Deep Sky Objects
Galaxies, Nebulae, globular star clusters and other objects will be targets for the Hyde telescopes throughout the month, depending upon sky conditions (best seen on June 2 and 9 when the moon will not be blotting out faint objects in the sky). Three bright stars herald the Spring constellations: Regulus the heart of Leo the lion, Arcturus in Bootes the Herdsman, and Spica in Virgo the virgin. They will guide us in our quest for objects that lie far beyond our solar system.