University Times

Tickets are free, but reservations are required for Allegheny Observatory’s Oct. 1 open house, which will be held 7-10 p.m. Visitors can roam the observatory and peer into the night sky through the 30-inch Thaw Refractor telescope, a 47-foot instrument normally reserved for research.

In addition, members of the Amateur Astronomers Association of Pittsburgh will set up telescopes on the lawn for the public.

The observatory houses one of the oldest and largest collections of photographic plates of star fields, with a collection that began in 1914 and now boasts more than 110,000 images. Unlike regular observatory tours, the open house allows people to see these plates and take self-guided tours of the observatory’s research rooms.

The observatory is located at 159 Riverview Ave., Riverview Park on the North Side. Reservations can be made weekdays 9 a.m.-5 p.m. by calling 412/321-2400. For more information, visit the observatory’s web site at www.pitt.edu/~aobsvtry.