The Winter Outings Series ends next Friday, March 31 with the Telescopes and Planetarium Open House from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

On the 31st will be a free, short program suitable for all ages in the planetarium. Explore the winter night sky, Orion’s belt, and distant galaxies, all from the comfort of the Strait Planetarium, which is part of Grant Science Center at the Mansfield campus of Commonwealth University (formerly Mansfield University).

If skies are clear before or after the program, look through telescopes provided outdoors by the Pennsylvania Wilds Astronomy Club to take a closer look at the planetary lineup of Saturn, Venus and Mars.

Leaders are Mansfield University’s Dr. Elaine Farkas, a physics professor with the MU Department of Chemistry and Physics, and Tim Morey of the Hills Creek State Park Complex. Registration is not required. See Mansfield.edu for a campus map to locate the building and parking options. To learn more about Winter Outings series events or for updates on trail conditions, directions and other information visit http://www.stepoutdoors.org