September 30, 2024 – Public Observation Nights at Millikin University’s Requarth Observatory are returning each Tuesday for fall 2024 from 7:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. (weather permitting). Public Observation Nights are free and open to the public.
Stargazing will take place on the roof of the Leighty-Tabor Science Center on Millikin’s campus under the direction of students and Millikin faculty. The Public Observation Nights will continue each Tuesday through Tuesday, November 12. The Leighty-Tabor Science Center is located just off Fairview Avenue in Decatur.
Senior Physics major Edwin Monroe has been assisting with the Public Observation Nights since he was a first-year student and was blown away using Millikin’s telescopes for the first time.
“I figured I would just be able to see a blur when I viewed it for the first time. Looking through the telescopes, I could see whole planets, and you could even see four or five moons of Jupiter,” Edwin said. “I have always been interested in Astronomy, which is part of the reason I came to Millikin. I wanted to do something math and science-related, so Astrophysics is what I came here for.”
Public Observation Nights have provided thousands of people access to some of the best astronomical equipment in the state, including the largest publicly available telescope in Illinois. Housed on the fifth floor of the Leighty-Tabor Science Center, the Requarth Observatory was built along with the rest of the Leighty-Tabor Science Center in 2000.
“People will get to look at some stars and planets, and it depends on the type of night and the season. Typically, in winter and spring, you can see Mars, and in fall, you can see Saturn and Jupiter,” Edwin said. “Even with the smaller telescopes, you can see them pretty clearly. You can see the shape of the rings of Saturn on the smaller telescopes and the bigger telescope shows you a lot more.”
In addition to the main telescope, the Leighty-Tabor Science Center also features an observation deck on the fifth floor that surrounds the base of the dome. This observation deck provides a platform to set up the smaller 8″ telescopes commonly used in introductory Astronomy courses.
