What's up this weekend? A look at what's going on around Sandoval Co. Jan. 24-26

1. Friday through Sunday, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will all be visible to the naked eye. Additionally, Uranus and Neptune will also be in view, although a telescope will be needed to spot them.

The Rio Rancho Astronomical Society (RRAS) invites you to the Rainbow Park Observatory, 301 Southern Blvd., beginning at 5:30 p.m. Friday for an evening of stargazing, weather permitting. Telescopes will be available to provide stunning close-up views of the planets.

2. Rio Rancho Creative Crossroads (RRCC) is starting an Improv Club, beginning with a free workshop Jan. 25 at Star Heights Recreation Center. The Improv Workshop will begin at 3 p.m. and be the first of a 12-session series. Each improv class lasts three hours. Registration is required for the upcoming workshop, and those interested can register at rr-cc.org.

3. Nancy Hendricks, the superintendent of Petroglyph National Monument, is scheduled to give a free lecture at Martha Liebert Public Library in Bernalillo at 2 p.m. Jan. 26.

The lecture, “A Place Connected: Protecting Petroglyph National Monument in the Midst of Rapid Change,” and is part of the Friends of Coronado & Jemez Historic Sites monthly lecture series.

The lecture will zero in on the cultural connections of the West Mesa and beyond that make the Petroglyph unique. Hendricks will share the challenges of managing the site in a rapidly expanding urban environment.