Several times during the warm weather months WVAS hosts free public stargazing Open Houses. Join us at the West Lafayette Observatory to see our moon, planets, constellations, star clusters, nebulas, and even other galaxies. Viewing is done with the human eye, binoculars, and telescopes. Activities include short slide shows, constellation identification tutorials, and celestial observation. Open Houses usually last about two hours but you may come and go as you please during the event.
Open House Schedule
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June 5 |
9:30 - 11:00 |
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September 4 |
8:30 - 10:00 |
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October 2 |
8:30 - 10:00 |
Stargazing sessions are canceled if it is windy or if the sky is mostly cloudy.
Additionally, we will have a casual viewing session on May 1st. Casual sessions only use member scopes and do not have a slide show. These sessions concentrate on just our viewing of the night sky with telescopes that are reachable by the ordinary person.
Jointly with the Prairie Grass Observatory (PGO), the Indiana Astronomical Society, and the Muncie Astronomy Club, we host a regional family-oriented star party for a weekend each year at Camp Cullom. Camp Cullom is located in a dark rural location between Mulberry and Frankfort, Indiana. PGO is on the grounds of Camp Cullom. The dates for our next IFSP are July 28 through 31, 2011. Star party details are availible at www.indianastars.us/starparty/.
This event is not only intended for enthusiasts, but also for families. We present the sky to families having had little experience with amateur astronomy in order to build interest (especially in young people) and to teach some of the joy of simple astronomy.
The Great Lakes Region of the Astronomical League holds a GREATCon event (astronomy quiz, telescope-making and astrophotography contests) in conjunction with the Indiana Family Star Party.Click here for some pictures taken during the last IFSP.
Last modified August 22, 2010
