Worthy Brewing's Hopservatory is open for the season and offering programming Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, weather permitting.

The Hopservatory at Worthy Brewing has reopened to the public, resuming its open-house style programs on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

Guests are invited to climb the three-story tower, enter the 17-foot rotating Ash Dome and peer into a 16-inch research-grade reflector telescope during programming hours, which are weather dependent. An elevator makes the dome handicap accessible.

Visitors are invited to observe planets, stars, star clusters, nebulae and on occasion, galaxies. The telescope is the same type as NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, with the ability to automatically find and track almost any object in the night sky, according to the website.

Hopservatory Manager Grant Tandy welcomes questions during the night sky viewing events, encouraging guests to delve into the wonders of the night sky.

“We strive to inspire visitors to look up and marvel at the beauty of the cosmos and in turn, our own home, encouraging a deeper connection with the world around us,” Tandy said in an email. “Our mission is to foster curiosity and appreciation for nature.”

Astronomy programming is made possible by Worthy Environmental, a nonprofit connecting the public with nature to inspire environmental stewardship and the preservation of dark skies.

Night sky viewing operating schedule

If it looks cloudy outside, viewing at the observatory will likely be sub-optimal. Participants are encouraged to check the online Hopservatory Clear Sky Chart, which depicts cloud cover by the hour, with dark blue squares on the chart denoting clear skies and white suggesting overcast skies.

If the weather cooperates, public viewing hours are held 8-9 p.m. Thursdays and 8-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. After Memorial Day, programming will begin one hour later. Check the Hopservatory’s website for the latest operating schedule.

No entrance fee is required but a $5 donation per person is suggested to support Worthy Brewing’s science programs. Payment is accepted via cash, card, or online. And although the telescope is located at a brewery, beer is not allowed inside the dome.

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If You Go

What: Hopservatory

When: 8-9 p.m. Thursday and 8-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday through Memorial Day, weather permitting

Where: Worthy Brewing, 495 NE Bellevue Drive, Bend

Cost: Suggested $5 donation

Contact: worthyenvironmental.org/hopservatory, @hopservatory on Instagram