Open House

To check the status of Open House, please call 863-1234 ext 7.

The primary activity of the Penn State Astronomy Club is conducting weekly public observing sessions, or Open Houses. These events are enjoyable and educational for both our members and our guests. Every other Friday evening throughout the school year, the club hosts the Open Houses. Those Fridays not hosted by the club are conducted by the Penn State Astronomy Department.

Open Houses are conducted on the roof of Davey Lab on the Penn State University Park campus. Visitors have the opportunity to view selected celestial objects through the various telescopes. Visitors are also invited to ask questions about the objects they are observing, the instruments we use, and other matters related to the sky. Discussions on a wide range of topics with club members are frequent and encouraged. Our members have the greatest enthusiasm for enriching everyone's appreciation and understanding of the Cosmos by providing the opportunity to observe the celestial wonders.

A schedule of Open Houses is available on the Calendar page and a map of the Penn State UP campus is available here.

A typical Open House attracts between 100 and 200 visitors, depending on weather. For a major event like an eclipse or the appearance of a comet, attendance can approach 1000 guests.

The selection of objects varies, but favorites include the moon, Jupiter, Saturn, colorful double stars like Albireo, and deep-sky objects, such as the Orion Nebula, the Andromeda Galaxy, the Hercules Cluster, the Ring Nebula, and many others.

These astronomy open houses are free and we do not limit the amount of time our guests can look through the telescopes. Everyone is welcome!

Last updated: 01/25/2008