The sky's brightest wonders are taking center stage.
The UF Department of Astronomy's Teaching Observatory is open to the public, and entrants can see global clusters, binary stars and the shining moon.
The observatory is located next to the Physics Lawn, south of the Reitz Union parking lot and west of the Aerospace Engineering building, and is free to the public every Friday classes are in session from 8:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Francisco Reyes, associate scientist and director of the UF Teaching Observatory, said the roof of the observatory opens up, and people can have the experience of looking through large telescopes while seeing global star clusters. Jupiter and its moons were recently visible.
"There are always enthusiastic people here to talk about astronomy," Reyes said.
The observatory has six telescopes that are placed outside for people to use. It also has large telescopes inside to view objects that are farther away.
The observatory will offer activities other than just stargazing. According to Reyes, in the near feature, people who attend will be able to take pictures of astronomical objects and save the images on flash drives.
"I feel close to the universe," chemical engineering senior Zack Cook, 21, said about the observatory.
The observatory does have its setbacks at times, like cloudy weather and something else astronomers frown upon: light pollution.
"The only problem here is the sky," Reyes said, "There are too many lights in the area." He added that all the lights make the sky look gray, so it never looks dark.
"With a gray sky, you don't get a lot of contrast," Reyes said, "so faint objects fade in with the background."
However, the observatory has some cooperative neighbors whose lights shine downward to keep the area dark.
Reyes said that this program has been around since the 1970s, and volunteers are always eager to help.
The Alachua Astronomy Club usually sends two or three volunteers to help each night, working alongside UF astronomy graduate students to staff the facility.
The observatory also has an underground reputation for being the perfect place for dates.
"A lot of couples come," Reyes said, explaining that many people have dinner and then come to the observatory watch the stars.
Chris Grant and Tatiana Salazar had their first date at the observatory at the end of April last year.
Salazar, a 22-year-old UF nursing student, said the soon-to-be couple first went to an Indian restaurant with friends. She remembers not being able to talk to Grant much at the restaurant but said when they got to the observatory, a conversation started to bloom.
"I didn't realize it at the moment, but that was my dream date." Salazar said.
Grant, 22-year-old Santa Fe College health sciences sophomore, says it was the first time he saw Mars and the first time he had ever opened up to another person so fully.
The couple will wed in December.
For more information on the Teaching Observatory or the public nights, visit astro.ufl.edu/outreach/publicnight.html.
One of the telescopes at the UF Department of Astronomy's Teaching Observatory aims at the starry night sky. The observatory is free to the public every Friday from 8:30 to 10 p.m.
