Stargazers Night

At our most recent Stargazers Night, the skies were clear and there was a bit of a nip in the air—perfect conditions for stargazing. Attendees took turns viewing celestial objects through the four telescopes set up for their use. Always a favorite, Saturn was especially vibrant, with a great view of the rings and a few of its moons. Among other things, guests were treated to a view of Mars, the spiral galaxy M81, the globular cluster M3, the Ring Nebula, and Albireo.

Albireo is the star that forms the foot of the Northern Cross (or the head of the the Swan, the constellation Cygnus). To the naked eye it is a single star, but aim a telescope at it and you’ll find that’s it actually two. Binary stars are pretty common, but what’s surprising about these two is that they are different in color. The pairing of a bright blue star and a bold yellow one makes for a spectacular image.

Johnson Observatory at the Creation Museum features several powerful telescopes.

The next Stargazers Nights are scheduled for August 1. And don’t worry that the weather may not cooperate. On nights when the conditions are not good for telescope use, we get to stay inside for a truly unique presentation. Through the powerful technology of the Stargazers Planetarium we are able to manipulate both time and space. Join us for a Stargazers Night and get a glimpse of the majesty of our Creator as we take a closer look at His heavenly creation.

Museum guests travel throughout the universe in Stargazers Planetarium .