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HYDE OBSERVATORY IS CLOSED
THE OBSERVATORY IS CLOSED FOR RENOVATION. WATCH THIS SPACE FOR ANNOUNCEMENT OF OUR RE-OPENING.
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
OBJECTS IN THE SKY FOR MAY
Solar System Objects
Mars sets about 3 hours after the sun at the start of the month, and less than 2-1/2 hours after the sun on May 31. It is tiny (less than 4″ wide in a telescope) and faint (magnitude 1.8). It’s up there in the sky, alright, but totally unimpressive. As Mars sets, Jupiter rises and begins to dominate the evening sky in May. Saturn follows Jupiter by about 2 hours, but its westward march slows as the month progresses, so it begins to lag further behind. Saturn will become an evening object about the middle of next month.
The Moon
Lunar phases this month: New Moon is May 4, First Quarter (best time to look at surface features through binoculars or a telescope) is May 12, Full Moon is May 18, and Last Quarter is the 26th.
Deep Sky Objects
Deep Sky Objects are those beyond the solar system: galaxies, nebulae and stars. As nights become warmer in Spring, look for constellations in the eastern sky that mark the onset on summer: Leo (the lion) , Virgo with its bright star Spica, Bootes (the herdsman) defined by its bright star Arcturus. And the Summer Triangle is rising in the east: Deneb in Cygnus (the swan), Altair in Aquila (the eagle) and Vega in Lyra (the lyre). As these objects grow higher in the sky, summer solstice (the official start of summer for us astronomers) is getting nearer! For the record, it’s June 21st.