The NJSEA William D. McDowell Observatory was front and center in the Local Section of this past Sunday’s Record newspaper. The article can also be found online.

The Observatory is open for public viewing on Wednesdays, year-round, weather permitting, though it will be closed on Wednesday, Nov. 26. It provides the public with spectacular views of the night sky through a hand-made, Classical-Cassegrain telescope that sits within a six-meter retractable dome.

Hours vary by season – November, December and January hours are 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. and viewing sessions are for ages 10 and up.

On Wednesday, Nov. 19, it’s possible that the Andromeda Galaxy (after 9:00 p.m.) and Saturn, Neptune, Uranus, and Jupiter (after 9:30) will come into view.

For more information, visit njsea.com/observatory, email info@njsea.com or call 201-460-1700.

Your expert guides from the Bergen County Audubon Society will take you through Laurel Hill County Park in Secaucus.

The walk runs from 10 a.m. to noon and we’ll be on the lookout for late migrants and raptors such as the Peregrine Falcon, pictured above. The Peregrine Falcon is the fastest animal on Earth and an especially powerful predator.

Park and meet at first parking lot as you enter Laurel Hill County Park off Laurel Hill Drive.

Contact: Don Torino – greatauk4@gmail.com or (201) 230-4983