Observe the Moon Night at Rice Observatory

FREE EVENT (NON-HOSTED): The Rice Space Institute will host a Rice University Observatory Open House on Friday evening October 3, for “Observe the Moon Night”.

Event starts with an ISS overflight 7:45-7:52 pm (get the "SpotTheStation" app to find other overflights), then Moon observing, then as dark comes, Saturn, Neptune, Albireo and the Double-Double (no lecture this time)

• Date: Friday, Oct. 3rd, 2025 (Backup date in case of clouds: Saturday, October 4, 8:00 - 10:00 pm)
• Time: 7:30 - 10:00PM
• Location: Brockman Hall for Physics, 4th floor
• Parking: North Lot (between entrances 20 and 21)

Evening Highlights:

• 7:46-7:52 pm: Spot the International Space Station (ISS) passing overhead in the southwest.
• Lunar viewing beginning at 7:30 pm.
• After the sky gets darker, we will observe Saturn, with its rings still edge-on and its moons Titan, Tethys and Dione (close together) on one side and Rhea and Enceladus on the other side. If the sky cooperates we will observe Neptune close by.
• We will also observe the gorgeous double star Albireo in Cygnus and the Double-Double in Lyra (can you see all four??).

Bonus: Even better ISS overflights will happen earlier in the week:

• Sept. 30, 8:37–8:41 pm (51° altitude, Southwest)
• Oct. 1, 7:48–7:54 pm (70° altitude, Northeast)

For more details and any late-minute changes, please check
[https://www.ruf.rice.edu/~ruco/open_houses.html](https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Frice.us17.list-manage.com%2Ftrack%2Fclick%3Fu%3D3ee53fcb840532b6725e9eb49%26id%3D365eaa90f4%26e%3Dd18552333a&data=05%7C02%7C%7C39b2b0fa2f0940d91ea108dd36808c41%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638726647917492026%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=SHXXFia%2F978VXWd%2FHqNLbEa1n98JzsqnlOJQQJdcFdI%3D&reserved=0 "Protected by Outlook: https://rice.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3ee53fcb840532b6725e9eb49&id=365eaa90f4&e=d18552333a. Click or tap to follow the link.")

Location: Brockman Hall for Physics (NOT FOR OPERA), NO lecture this time. Meet on the observatory deck (4th floor). Elevator (and bathrooms) is in the east wing of the building.

Brockman Hall on Rice Interactive Map: https://map.concept3d.com/?id=473#!ct/71275,71276,71277?m/119182?s/Brockman

Parking: The closest parking is in the "North Lot", between entrances 20 and 21. Use a credit card for entry and exit. Less expensive parking in the Greenbriar lot, west of the stadium.

North Lot on Rice Interactive Map: https://map.concept3d.com/?id=473#!m/126305?s/key=North%20Parking%20Lot

Parking Facilities and Rates: https://parking.rice.edu/parking-facilities-and-rates

For weather updates see the campus observatory page:
[https://www.ruf.rice.edu/~ruco/open_houses.html](https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ruf.rice.edu%2F~ruco%2Fopen_houses.html&data=05%7C02%7C%7C0ec2c36afeac4e69bb4808dcc1380251%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638597693531678972%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=uSkCPrNTd4gW35TXhe7zo2zWBJM4da1brYNKZ70%2FdVc%3D&reserved=0 "Protected by Outlook: https://www.ruf.rice.edu/~ruco/open_houses.html. Click or tap to follow the link.")

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