Public Star Gazing on Fridays at Cline Observatory

On clear Friday nights in Greensboro, people gather near Cline Observatory to look beyond the Earth. The observatory is located on the Greensboro Technical Community College campus. Parking can be found in Lot F. From there, you walk down a short staircase and follow a path between two buildings. The observatory is just ahead on the right, with telescopes already set and aimed upward.

Cline Observatory

Several viewing stations surround the building. Each one is staffed by a professor, student, or volunteer, and each telescope points toward a different part of the sky such as the moon, a star cluster, or a faint nebula. Visitors take turns looking, and the person at each station explains what they’re seeing. Discussions often shift from how stars form to how long they last.

One station features the school’s smart telescope, demonstrated by Lou, a former student and recreational astrophotographer. It streams its view straight to a phone or tablet, allowing people to see deep-space objects more clearly. Visitors can even save a photo of what the telescope captures, something many try before they leave.

The view from one of the telescopes displayed on a tablet

The event is free and open to anyone. People move between telescopes at their own pace. Some stay for a few minutes, others for the full session. Public viewing nights run about two hours and happen every Friday, weather permitting. If rain or heavy clouds are expected, the event is canceled. From November through February, viewing starts at 7 p.m.

Between March and October, sessions begin roughly 45 minutes after sunset. The observatory also opens for eclipses and other rare astronomical events.

Cline Observatory opened in 1997 and has welcomed more than 30,000 visitors since then, according to the school’s website. Updates about weather or schedule changes are shared on their X account, found here. Visitors can find additional details, including upcoming events and special viewing sessions, on the observatory’s webpage by clicking here.

Each telescope at Cline offers a slightly different view of the night sky. Together, they turn a quiet field beside a community college into a small gathering place to explore and learn about the universe above.

Article and Photos By: Noah Kuxhausen

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