The public is invited to view Uranus through Missouri S&T’s 16-inch-wide telescope this February.

The observatory will be open 7-8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 7, to view Uranus, which is four times larger than Earth and the third-largest planet in our solar system. Clear skies are required for viewing.

Observatory viewings are free to the public and no reservations or tickets are required. Interested attendees are encouraged to sign up for the observatory notification list for event changes or cancellations. Children are welcome at the observatory, but must be accompanied by an adult. All visitors must climb a small set of stairs in order to use the telescope for the viewing.

The following is a tentative schedule of the spring 2020 viewing events:

• 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21, the Orion Nebula
• 7 p.m. Friday, March 6, Venus
• 9 p.m. Friday, March 20, the Crab Nebula
• 9 p.m. Friday, April 3, the moon
• 9 p.m. Friday, April 17, Bode’s Galaxy
• 9 p.m. Friday, May 1, date reserved for a makeup event in case of inclement weather

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

For more information about the viewings, the observatory, or to have an email address added to a notification list for future events and weather cancellations, contact Kenneth Distefano by email at kadp89@mst.edu.