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Schueller Observatory public event Feb. 9 update

(Photo Courtesy of UMass Lowell) “Schueller Observatory is located on South Campus by the sports fields, and is open to the public for monthly events during the school year.”

Kyra Barry
Connector Editor

Wednesday, Feb. 9, the UMass Lowell Schueller Observatory will be open to the public from six to nine pm, including lectures by Nick Sorabella in Coburn room 255 titled “What’s in the Sky?” and “Gravitational Lensing and Black Holes”. For those interested in astronomy and star gazing, this is a perfect opportunity to indulge in both.

Astronomers trained in the usage of the observatory’s instruments will be available to assist all visitors with peering through the telescopes. Given the snowy weather, the views from the observatory may not allow for the clearest views of the night sky. If the weather allows for viewing of the night sky, sunset will be at five pm, an hour before the start of the event.

The building, opened in 2019, was made possible by the generosity of its namesake’s wife, named for the late Richard Schueller, an amateur astronomer, and alumni of UMass Lowell. The observatory enables students to use professional instruments to observe celestial objects and hosts the university’s astronomy club. Associate professor of the department of physics and applied physics, Silas Laycock, said in a past press release, “The observatory accommodates about a half dozen people at a time, and it is wheelchair-accessible.”

If students miss out on this event, the Schueller Observatory is regularly open to the public once a month, keeping the interest in astronomy alive in students and non-students alike.

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