Astronomy Outreach
Offering the community a chance to marvel.
Valpo’s astronomy faculty hosts several free public offerings each semester for the Valparaiso community to enjoy views of the moon, planets, star clusters, and galaxies. These are free to the public.
On clear nights, the open house takes place at the Valpo observatory. Valpo’s telescope and the remotely-operated SARA telescopes are utilized. To confirm if the weather is clear enough for the Observatory to open, call 219.464.5202 or visit this website after 5:00 p.m. on the date of the open house.
When adverse weather prevents the use of the observatory, the group meets at Neils Science Center planetarium for a tour of the night sky for the current time of year — identifying and locating constellations, planets, and other astronomical objects.
Upcoming Open Houses
Special Public Lectures
TBA
Remote Viewing with the SARA Consortium Telescopes
Around once per semester, the public is invited to just us on a Friday evening to see how we remotely operate and use the SARA consortium telescopes that we have access to. The telescopes are located in Arizona, Chile, and the Canary Islands, but we operate them from Valpo to collect images and research data. Check out the Open House Schedule (above) for these special dates.
Private Programs
Groups may request private night-sky planetarium programs, which are typically scheduled prior to public programs on scheduled open house nights. To set up a group visit, call 219.464.5369.
