The William D. McDowell Observatory in  DeKorte Park begins a new schedule of programming on wednesday night with free public access at 8 and 10 p.m. — weather permitting, of course.

Dress for the weather; with the dome open, you are basically outside.

Each evening two major objects in the night sky will be viewed, plus one or two other celestial objects or events depending on the observing conditions.

Pictured at left is the observatory's state-of-the-art telescope with a 20-inch mirror, housed beneath a retractable dome.

The telescope, one of the largest in the area, is equipped with cameras to record the stars and planets. Special filters block light pollution.

For detailed information, click here.  The full September schedule will be posted when it becomes available.