A couple from Central New Jersey visited the Meadowlands this week in hopes of a fulfilling their longtime dream of seeing a Snowy Owl.

    They stopped by the Environment Center, a naturalist took them to see the owl, and they hung around to see other raptors. They got an added owlish treat at the William D. McDowell Observatory.

   Not only did they see their Snowy, but near DeKorte Park in Lyndhurst they also saw a Short-Eared Owl (above),  the local American Kestrel, and Rough-legged Hawks and Northern Harriers.

  While at DeKorte Park, they met John Sloan, who runs the observatory, and stayed around for the free public telescope viewing hours (7-10 p.m., Mondays and Wednesdays — and got to see the Owl Star Cluster.

   Please visit the Meadowlands yourself — for the owls, the observatory and more.

    Click "Continue reading …" to see a link to a photo of the Owl Cluster and more information about it."

   The cluster contains more than 150 stars and is nearly 10,000 light years away. More information on the Owl Star Cluster — also known as the "E.T. Cluster," is here.

   A link to the photo of the Owl Star Cluster is here.