Full Moon and Stars Over Minneapolis/St. Paul: Amateur Astronomy

Wasn't today gorgeous? A beautiful sunny day, cool but fresh and delightful to be out in the spring sunshine. The skies remained clear on Thursday night going into Friday morning, and the Twin Cities basked in the light of a brilliant full moon.

The full moon is simple to appreciate, but for a more in depth understanding of the moon, stars, galaxies nebulae and other objects in the night sky, take advantage of one of the University of Minnesota Astronomy Department's Public Nights. Graduate students from the U of M set up telescopes on the Physics building roof on most clear Friday nights in the spring and fall semesters. This year the spring semester runs until May 1.

The events begin at 9 p.m. until 10.30 p.m. if weather conditions are right. To find out if the weather is suitable for star watching, dial 612-626-0034 for a recorded message. The message is set by around 8 p.m. on the evening of the Friday viewing.

• More information on Public Viewing Nights at the U of M Astronomy Department