The general public is invited to join astronomer John Zielinski for an evening at Rice Creek Field Station's observatory. Participants will have the chance to gaze through the observatory's large 16" wide telescope inside the rotating dome to view celestial objects like the moon, the bright planets, galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters.

Since clear weather is needed for observing the night sky, interested participants should call (315) 312-6620 after 7 pm on the evening of each event to hear a recorded message announcing whether or not the observation session will take place that evening.  Prior to the evening of the event, this same number can be dialed to access a pre-recorded detailed description of the upcoming session.

Getting to Rice Creek

Transportation is available for SUNY Oswego students for the April 28 & 29 sessions. Come to the Marano Campus Center bus loop at 9 pm, 9:30 pm, or 10 pm for a van ride to Rice Creek Field Station. We'll bring you back half an hour later. No sign-ups are needed -- but please be sure to call (315) 312-6620 after 7 pm each night to ensure the session can continue given the current weather conditions.

Dates

The 2023 dates (weather dependent) include:

• Fri, Jan 27 & Sat, Jan 28, 8 - 10 p.m.
• Fri, Mar 31 & Sat, Apr 1, 8 - 10 p.m.
• Fri, Apr 28 & Sat, Apr 29, 9 - 11 p.m.
• Fri, Jun 23 & Sat, Jun 24, 10 p.m. - midnight
• Fri, Jul 28 & Sat, Jul 29, 10 p.m. - midnight
• Fri, Aug 25 & Sat, Aug 26, 9 - 11 p.m.
• Fri, Oct 20 & Sat, Oct 21, 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.
• Fri, Dec 15 & Sat, Dec 16, 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Questions

For questions about this program, please reach out to Rice Creek Field Station staff at 315-312-6677 or rcfs@oswego.edu.

Rice Creek Field Station, a unit of SUNY Oswego, is located 1.5 miles south of campus at 193 Thompson Road in Oswego.