RIT Observatory open house on Friday

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Feb. 24 update: Open house scheduled for Feb. 24 has been canceled due to poor weather.

Visitors to the Rochester Institute of Technology Observatory could get a close-up look at four planets and the Earth’s moon on Feb. 24. The open-house event will be held 6­­–8:30 p.m., weather permitting.

“Venus will be the star of the sky,” says Michael Richmond, professor of physics and director of the RIT Observatory. “Jupiter will also be bright in the western sky, and Mars will be seen just rising in the eastern sky around 7 p.m.”

Mercury might be too low to view, Richmond says, but the “3-day-old crescent moon promises to be very pretty.”

The main telescopes at the observatory include a 14-inch Celestron and a 12-inch Meade, both mounted on piers inside the domes. Smaller telescopes on tripods will be set up to increase viewing options.

Heavy clouds and inclement weather will postpone night sky watching. Visit the observatory’s home page to check the status of the event.

“If it’s cloudy, please stay home and try us next time,” Richmond says.

The observatory is located at 645 John St., near the intersection with Bailey Road. For more information, contact Michael Richmond at mwrsps@rit.edu, or go to the observatory’s home page.