MCOF open house stargazing event

Morgan County Observatory will be having an Open House Star Party on Saturday, July 31 during the county fair weekend beginning at 8:30 p.m. and going until 11 p.m.

There will be stargazing, refreshments, movies and hands on astronomy exhibits. Summer skies showcase the planets Saturn, Venus and Mars in a tight cluster following the Sun soon after it sets.

With clear skies, the Hercules Cluster and the Ring Nebula and the Summer Triangle will be visible. See the Morgan County Observatory and look through the powerful 16" Cassegrain telescope housed there. Admission is free to all and donations are encouraged.

There are still a few seats left for the annual Astronomy/Rocketry kids summer camp this year to be held the weeks of August 2-6 and 9-13 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Kids will build and launch their own model rockets twice a day, while learning about the Sun, Moon and planets, building telescopes & planispheres, and many other fun astronomy related activities
To get to the Observatory from Berkeley Springs, follow Rt 522 South two miles and take a left on Winchester Grade Road (Rt. 13), then travel 9.5 miles just past Greenwood School on the left. For information 304-258-1013.