Lake Afton Observatory to have extended holiday weekend hours

The Lake Afton Public Observatory will be open longer the two nights after Thanksgiving Day.

“If, after the meals and shopping, you are looking for a memorable Friday or Saturday night activity, consider taking your family to stargaze here at Lake Afton Public Observatory,” the observatory’s Facebook page says.

The observatory near Goddard has a 16-inch reflecting telescope, an exhibit room with astronomy displays and virtual reality headsets.

“We have local astronomers who set up their privately owned scopes,” the post said. “They are also happy to share their views with anyone who stops by.”

Observatory director Harold Henderson said the programming will focus on dimmer objects in the sky, which will become more visible as the moon fades after the unusually bright supermoon earlier this month.

“It’ll probably be a good selection of deep sky objects like nebula and star clusters,” he said.

The observatory is located at 25000 W. 39th St. South. It will be open from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, a half an hour later than normal.

Admission is $8 for adults and $4 for children ages 6 through 12. Children under the age of 6 are admitted free.

Henderson said the observatory hosts between 15 to 25 people on an average weekend night. But Henderson said he is hoping for higher attendance as people host family for the holiday weekend.

“By being open a little longer, we hope that will give people a chance to see the exhibits and viewings through the telescope in a relaxed, less-hurried manner.”

This story was originally published November 24, 2016 at 12:47 PM with the headline "Lake Afton Observatory to have extended holiday weekend hours."