RIT Observatory hosts open house to commemorate Apollo 11’s 50th anniversary

UPDATE: 8:37 a.m. Sept. 6: The open house has been rescheduled for Sept. 7 due to poor weather. Updates will be posted at https://www.rit.edu/cos/observatory/.

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The Rochester Institute of Technology Observatory is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first steps on the moon by holding an open house. Members of the Rochester community are invited to visit and explore the moon through the observatory’s telescopes, using their eyes and cameras.

The public is invited to the observatory from 8-10 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 6, with a rain date of Saturday, Sept. 7. The RIT Observatory is located at 645 John St., near the intersection with Bailey Road at the southeastern corner of the RIT campus. 

“Some telescopes will show the entire moon at once, while others will zoom in on particular features,” said Michael Richmond, professor of physics and director of the RIT Observatory. “We will point some telescopes at the region in the Sea of Tranquility which contains the Apollo 11 landing site. You won't be able to see the spacecraft, but you may be able to detect the craters named after the crew. We will also provide views of Jupiter and its moons, and of Saturn and its rings.”

The event is free and open to the public. Updates about the weather and the event will be posted to the RIT Observatory website at https://www.rit.edu/cos/observatory/.