The public is invited to view Messier 3 through Missouri S&T’s 16-inch-diameter telescope on Thursday, March 22. All viewings are subject to weather conditions.

The Missouri S&T Observatory will open its doors at 10:30 p.m. for the viewing. The sky must be clear for observing, and the session length will vary.

Viewings at the observatory are free of charge and no reservations are required. Children are welcome to attend but must be accompanied by an adult.

Messier 3 is a globular cluster located in the constellation Canes Venatici, also known as the Hunting Dogs. Messier 3 is one of the largest globular clusters in the sky and is approximately 33,900 light years from Earth. Messier 3 contains an estimated 500,000 stars.

This is the third viewing of the semester. The next viewing will be held at 9 p.m. Monday, April 9.

Built in 1973, the Missouri S&T Observatory is located at 1550 N. Bishop Ave. (Highway 63), adjacent to the university’s Stonehenge replica, north of McNutt Hall and west of St. Patrick’s Lane.

For more information, or to have your email address added to an event notification mailing list for future updates and weather cancellation notices, contact Missouri S&T graduate student Ken Goss by email at ken.goss@mst.edu.