Stargazing
This month's program on April 25 will run regardless of the weather conditions. We will open the telescopes if clear, and open the planetarium if cloudy.
Join Penn State astronomy and astrophysics students for a program called "Celebrate the Stars: A free community event for International Dark Sky Week".
As always, the event will go from 8:30pm - 10:00pm. Please join us for an evening of storytelling, star-gazing, and hands-on activities designed for all ages.
The plan for April 25 includes:
- Constellations and Conversation: A Night Sky Tour
- Stories in the Stars: A Cultural Conversation Experience
- Dark Skies, Bright Stars: Light Pollution Solutions
Monthly Stargazing is sponsored by the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics and the Astronomy Club during the fall and spring semesters. We are closed from May to August during the Penn State summer sessions. However, stargazing is offered in mid-July as part of our AstroFest program.
When the observatory is open, the public is welcome to join us on the roof of Davey Lab to observe planets, stars, and deep space objects like nebulae, galaxies, and star clusters that are currently visible in the sky using a variety of telescopes (weather permitting). There is no fee to attend, and no RSVP is necessary.
During the fall and spring, we will also occasionally host “Stars and Scientists” nights on Fridays where a researcher will present a brief science talk about their work, followed by rooftop telescope observing if the weather is clear. The talks will be held on the fifth floor (room 538) and will begin at 8:30 pm.
For the spring, 2025 semester, we will try to open the telescopes on:
Friday, Jan 31: canceled for clouds
Friday, Feb 28: telescope observing canceled, planetarium show to be held
Friday, Mar 28: canceled because of a forecast for rain and clouds
Friday, Apr 25: Our April program will run whether clear or cloudy!
We will update this website 12 - 24 hours beforehand with an update on the weather forecast and our decision on whether the observatory will be open on a particular Friday night.
Other local opportunities for telescope observing in Central PA:
In the State College community, the Central PA Observers also host stargazing nights in local parks. They will be holding a sky watch at the Arboretum at Penn State on April 5 at 8:30pm.
During the summers, Fort Roberdeau's Mountain Lion Observatory also hosts telescope observing nights at their location approximately 40 miles from the University Park campus.