Space and its glorious celestial objects have fascinated humans for centuries.
With the aid of the Mississippi State University Astronomy Club and the departments of physics and astronomy, anyone with an interest in space has the opportunity to view the night sky at an observation night at the Howell Observatory. The free public observation night is tonight, from 8 to 10 p.m.
The subjects of the observation will be Saturn, the Andromeda galaxy and the Ring Nebula.
The building’s namesake, late physics department head Everette Howell, supported the construction of the observatory’s telescope in 1976. The observatory is located at H.H. Leveck Animal Research Center, also known as South Farm. It is an optimal spot for telescope viewing due to the low level of light pollution in the area. 
Angelle Tanner, an associate professor in the departments of both physics and astronomy, will lead the observation. She said she is excited to see clear skies projected for tonight and to lead the public in viewing the celestial bodies. 
“Saturn is nice and bright which makes it a great planet to observe,” she said.
She also described Saturn as a definite “showstopper” even for those who have attended previous public nights, because of its impressive rings. 
Tanner said MSU’s observatory is fortunate to be far from the influence of man-made light sources.
“Compared to other observatories, it is a pretty average sized telescope for a university,” Tanner said. “What is nice about it is that it is located away from the actual campus as opposed to some observatory telescopes which are on the rooftops of buildings.”
However, she said she fears the quality observations may be at risk due to the new, lighted road running near the area. She said she hopes the images will not be obstructed due to the development. 
The Astronomy Club, led by president Randy Niffenegger, is also involved in the organization of these public nights.
“The mission of the Astronomy Club is community outreach, which we do by having public nights, but it is also to give undergrads and some grad students the opportunity to use equipment that they wouldn’t have access to otherwise,” Niffenegger said. “It’s to share the objects in the night sky with people that otherwise wouldn’t be able to see it, whether it be students, faculty or the community.”
Niffenegger said the Astronomy Club aims to host at least one of these events per month, weather permitting, during the academic year. He said November is the most favorable month due to pleasant weather conditions and the presence of students.
Many students, especially those in the astronomy class taught by Tanner, will attend at tonight’s event.
Grace Beerman, an MSU student, said she is excited to attend her first public observation night.
“I’ve been to the Pink Palace (a museum in Memphis) and have watched planetarium videos, but this will be my first time looking at the night sky through a big telescope,” Beerman said. “I’m also excited about the fact that it’s going to be a clear night and hopefully it will be a lot brighter, and I’m also very excited about the opportunity to see Saturn since I’ve never seen it before.”