UPDATE (12pm Nov 24): The sky will be clear tonight so this viewing is going ahead! We’ll be short a helper this evening, so when you arrive in our waiting room, there may not be a member of the Physics Department there to greet you because they’ll be up in the observatory. But you can take a seat and someone will be down to guide you up to the observatory when they’re ready for the next group.

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We are going to try our luck with the weather for the second time this month and see if we can manage to have a viewing. We will hold a public viewing from 7:00-9:00pm on Thursday, November 24 (weather permitting). Everyone is welcome to drop by to have a look through our telescope in the Earl L. Wonnacott Observatory. The Moon, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn will be in the sky that night, so those are likely some of the objects that we will look at.

The meeting spot for this event is room 417 of Memorial Hall (get directions and parking information). Depending on how many people are attending, you may have to wait a bit for your turn to go up to the telescope. We’ll have some activities and information available to entertain you while you wait.

Please note that masks will be required for this event. UPEI currently requires masks to be worn in instructional spaces unless physical distancing of at least 2 metres can be maintained. Because the observatory is only about 2 metres in diameter, masks must be worn inside it. Masks must also be worn in Memorial Hall room 417 unless you are physically-distanced from other attendees.

To access the observatory, it is necessary to be able to climb a set of stairs over one storey in height.

The observatory is unheated, so bring clothing that is warm enough to permit you to stand in outdoor temperatures for at least 20 minutes. (The waiting room is indoors and heated.)

If the sky is cloudy on the night of the event, the viewing may have to be cancelled. This post will be updated if there are any changes to the event status.