Winter Stargazing at the ‘Mont

Bundle up and head to the Westmont Observatory, which opens to the public for its free, monthly Stargazing event Friday, Dec. 15, beginning at sunset and lasting several hours. Saturn and many other celestial delights will be targeted by Westmont’s powerful Keck Telescope and the other scopes owned by members of the Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit, whose members set up around the observatory.

The great Geminids Meteor Shower, one of the best of the annual shooting star displays, peaks Dec. 13-14, though it may still be visible with the naked eye at the viewing.

As a reminder, when visiting the Westmont Observatory, please park for free anywhere near the baseball field and the track and field/soccer complex. To enter Westmont's campus, please use the Main Entrance off of La Paz Road. The lower entrance off of Cold Springs Road is closed to visitors after 7 p.m.