You have reached the Washburn Observatory hotline. The Observatory is
run by the Department of Astronomy at the University of Wisconsin-
Madison.

The Washburn Observatory was built in 1881 and houses one of the
largest refractor telescopes of its day; a 15" refractor telescope.
The Observatory is open for visitors if the sky is at least 75% clear
of clouds. The public is asked to use their own judgement on sky
conditions as they are subject to last minute changes with Wisconsin's
unpredictable weather!

Public viewing at the Observatory is held on the FIRST and THIRD
Wednesday of each month. The Observatory opens at 9:00 pm from April
to October and at 7:30 pm from November to March. During the summer
months, from June 15 through July 27, the Observatory will be open
EVERY Wednesday evening at 9:00 pm.

Weather permitting, celestial objects that are favorably located at
the time may be viewed such as the moon, planets, double stars, and
star clusters. Usually, only one object is shown and it is magnified
by the telescope about 500 times. If time permits, the telescope will
be moved to view a different object.

The Observatory is open for telescope viewing only; there is no
lecture or tour. There willbe a volunteer astronomer on duty to answer
any questions you might have. You must wait in line with the dome
open, so please dress appropriatley for weather conditions.

There are no arrangements made for special showings. The Observatory
is only open to the public on designated Wednesday evenings. There is
no fee, no reservations are needed, and groups are welcome without
advance notice. Any age is invited - even young children enjoy the
telescope. Unfortunately, the Observatory is an old building and is
not wheelchair accessible.

The Observatory is located at 1401 Observatory Drive on the campus of
the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Parking is available on the
street and you can enter through the back entrance.

Please continue to listen for additional information on local
astronomy viewing or learning activities:


The Celestial Connection is a hotline featuring information on viewing
objects in the night sky as well as astronomical tidbits and
information about special events. The Connection is updated each
month; you can learn which planets are visible and their positions in
the sky for conducting you own backyard viewing. The telephone number
is 262-4636.

The UW Space Place at 1605 Park Street is operated by the Space
Astronomy Laboratory and the Department of Astronomy and has
activities for adults, children, civic groups, and teachers. Space
Place offers exhibits, lectures, and hands-on activities to teach
basic scientific principles in a fun way bringing the wonder and
excitement of space sciences to all ages. Public lectures are held on
the second and fourth Tuesdav of each month; Children's Workshops are
on the second and fourth Saturdav of each month. Call 262-4779 for
lecture & workshop information.

Madison has an amateur astronomy group, the Madison Astronomical
Society. For more information call Jane Breun at 238-8706.

The University Planetarium is NOT open to the public. However, there
is a planetarium at Memorial High School that is open to the public
during the school year, running through May. Two programs are offered
on the third Wednesdav on each month at 6:30 and 7:45 pm. There IS a
fee. A different topic is covered each month. Accomodations can be
made for special afternoon showings to special groups. Contact Geoff
Holt at Memorial High at 829-4053 for further information.

Good Bye for now and Happy Viewing !