Herrett Center

Attention X followers: We are no longer going to be posting to or monitoring this account. Find us on Threads (herrettcenter_csi), Instagram (herrettcenter_csi), YouTube (herrettcenterforartsandsci191), and Facebook (HerrettCenter), or our website herrett.csi.edu.

It's that time of year. Not much longer now. The Herrett Center Store's annual holiday sale begins in just five days (12/12 - 12/23), with 20% off most items over $5. (Why, what did you THINK we were counting down to?) 😉

We are pleased to announce that the apparent failure of the primary drive motor on the Centennial Observatory's 24" telescope turned out to be two loose set screws on the drive pulley. We are back to full functionality for public programs and astronomical research!

Due to the failure of our telescope's (19-year-old) main drive motor, tonight's "Telescope Tuesday" is canceled. We are hoping to have a fix to allow us to open for our next public event (the next Telescope Tuesday) on 11/28. We apologize for the inconvenience.

This Saturday, October 28th, is our annual "Creepy Crawly Day," where you can see and touch a variety of slithering, scuttling, creeping, and crawling critters. It starts at 1:00 PM when the museum opens and goes until 5:00 PM. Hope to see you here!

Eclipse shades are sold out (sorry). Please enjoy the eclipse safely: 1) only welding glass #14 or darker, 2) poke a small hole in a piece of cardboard to cast a sun image (do not look at the sun through the hole!), 3) come to the observatory 9:00 AM to noon.

And, just like that, we are down to fewer than 30 pairs left (really!) with 15 minutes until closing. We open at 9:30 AM Friday.

Correction: We have about 100 pairs left (as of 3:45 PM MDT).

Solar eclipse notice: The Herrett Center Store's supply of eclipse shades (necessary to safely view Saturday's 85% partial solar eclipse) is down to fewer than 40 pairs ($2 + tax).

Here’s a cell phone shot of Venus through the eyepiece. We’ll be here until 7:15 AM if you want to see it.

On Tuesday 9/19, Venus (the "Morning Star") will be at peak brightness for the rest of 2023. The Centennial Observatory will offer free views of the 28% crescent Venus through the Norman Herrett 24" telescope from 5:30 to 7:15 AM, weather permitting.

Update: Clouds slipped in over night, and Venus is currently obscured. We’ll stay until 7:15 AM in case it clears up, but as of 5:38 AM the dome is closed to protect the telescope.

How much bigger will tonight's "blue supermoon" look compared to an average full moon? Less than the difference between a penny and a dime when viewed from the same distance. (And to make them look the same size as the moon does, view them from about 6 feet or 1.8 meters away)

An unusual sky event 8/24 for the western US: Antares, one of the brightest stars (and noticeably red) will be occulted (hidden) by the moon. The moon covers Antares around 7:44 PM MDT (in daylight, but visible in optics), then reveals it again about 2 hours later. Check it out!

Pluto is at its closest for 2023 today. We're planning to open the observatory from 1:30-2:30 AM tonight (technically Wed. morning), when Pluto is highest in the sky, for those who wish to check "see Pluto" off their bucket list. What the weather is planning remains to be seen...

We’re crying “uncle” for our star party tonight. Those clouds coming up from the southwest show no signs of clearing.

There are a few raindrops falling at the observatory right now, with dark clouds to the southwest drifting our way.

Will our monthly free star party happen tonight? The weather is playing it coy and not letting on, so we'll just wait and see if the clouds clear out by the start time (9:45 PM).

Please note this one-time schedule change: Tonight's 8:00 PM planetarium show will be "Black Hole: First Picture/Black Holes: A Deeper Dive." The next showing of "Serengeti: A Journey to the Heart of Africa" will be Tuesday at 7:00 PM.

Will we see Mercury tonight? Good question: The forecasts disagree. Why not come to the museum for the (free) opening reception of the annual CSI Student Art Show (7-9 PM), and head up to the observatory between 8 and 8:30 if the clouds open?