Horizons Observatory Stargazing Event: Saturday, February 11, 2023 from 6:30-7:30 pm

A clear sky is forecast for this Saturday night (February 11th) - so the Horizons Observatory will be open to the public for stargazing from 6:30-7:30 (weather permitting).  After a brief naked eye tour of the winter night sky, the main attraction will be Comet ZTF, the “green comet”.  Although now receding and barely visible to the naked eye, the comet’s coma (cloud of gas surrounding the nucleus) will be visible as glowing “fuzzball” through a pair of binoculars and our telescopes. (Note: The beautiful tail seen in photographs will be too diffuse to see with a telescope.)  We’ll also have good views of Mars, the Orion Nebula, and the Andromeda Galaxy.
Dress very warmly.  If you have them, bring your binoculars.  (We’ll also have a couple to share at the observatory).  Please do not bring flashlights since this will reduce our ability to view the sky. 
The Horizons Observatory is located on the campus of The Prosper Valley School at 1071 Pomfret Road, Pomfret, VT.
We're looking forward to seeing you on what promises to be a beautiful mid-winter’s night! This event will be canceled in the event of cloudy skies.
Throughout the year, the Horizons Observatory hosts free public stargazing tours using telescopes, binoculars, and naked eye observation.   To ensure clear skies for these events, a “short notice” (24-36 hours before the event) email is sent out to all those on the Horizons Observatory notification service.  To be placed on the notification service, simply go to www.horizonsobservatory.org, click on “Blog”, type in your email address in the space provided, and click “Submit”.  It’s that easy!  The Horizons Observatory is located on the grounds of The Prosper Valley School in Pomfret, Vermont.  
Rob Hanson, Horizons Observatory Director