Allegheny Observatory Open House Set for Oct. 7

Issue Date: 
September 19, 2016

Check out a “close up” view of the stars, moon, and planets during Allegheny Observatory’s annual open house on Oct. 7.

The observatory is owned by the University of Pittsburgh and operated by Pitt’s Department of Physics and Astronomy. Located in Riverview Park at 159 Riverview Ave., North Side, it is one of the world’s major astronomical research institutions.

Two-hour tours will begin at 7 p.m. Oct. 7 and the final tour will end at 10 p.m. Admission is free, and tickets may be obtained by calling the observatory at 412-321-2400 weekdays between 1-5 p.m.

Open house visitors will be able to look through the observatory’s 30-inch Thaw Refracting Telescope, and the photographic plate vault, containing close to 500,000 images from 1914-1985, will be open for viewing,

In addition, volunteers from the Amateur Astronomers Association of Pittsburgh will set up portable telescopes on the front lawn for open house attendees.