The Charleston Carnegie Public Library will open the public’s eyes to the dark skies at 7:30 p.m. every Tuesday in October.

Astronomy Night Exploration will take place at the public library, 712 Sixth St., and will concentrate on naked-eye and binocular observations of the night sky, said Beth Lugar, youth program coordinator at the Charleston Carnegie Public Library.

The programs are free and up to 25 families and individuals can register until the last Tuesday in October.

Lugar said she is expecting about 40 individuals to attend the first night of the program Tuesday.

Tim Camden and Bob Rubendunst, both community members and library patrons, will provide telescopes, and Camden will teach participants about the basics of astronomy.

“He is wanting them to get a basic foundation so when they are out in the backyard or if they are camping, they can do this on their own and foster a deeper interest to want to learn more,” Lugar said.

With the telescopes, star charts and lunar maps, Camden will show participants how to identify major celestial bodies.

“They’ll learn to identify the most popular and easily identified constellations, bright stars, and observe the moon,” Lugar said. “Once we’ve got a few constellations under our belt, we will move on to others.”

Each Tuesday, Camden will build on the information he taught participants the previous week and loosely quiz participants on what they know.

“He is hoping to build on the information he gives you so that it is accumulative knowledge,” Lugar said.

Participants will need to bring their own binoculars, and Lugar suggested participants wear warm clothing and bring a blanket to lay on to view the sky.

“If you are standing around and craning your neck holding your binoculars, it gets tiring on your neck,” she said.

Lugar has attended previous astronomy events at the public library and said she learns something new every time.

She also said she enjoys watching as children learn more about astronomy during the program.

“It’s interesting to see the little kids get really into it,” she said. “Plus, their eyes are so much better than adult eyes, so they can see things much more clearly.”

Anyone interested in registering for the program can call 217-345-1514.

Tim Deters can be reached at 581-2812 or tadeters@eiu.edu.