Meet the Stars

observatoryNext Meet the Stars Event: MOVED! to Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020, starting at 8:00 p.m.

Current Status: 2/22/20, 6:45 p.m. – It’s a go!  We’re going to have to contend with some wispy clouds, but the forecast now is for the cloud cover to peak at about 37% around 9 p.m.  It won’t be a great night for observing, but we’ll just see what we can see…

“Meet the Stars” returns this month (weather permitting) with a public observing night this Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020, beginning at 8:00 p.m.

Planned Viewing Objects: The best planets for viewing won’t be up until long after midnight, so instead we’ll hope to take advantage of the moonless night to look for some dimmer objects — e.g. nebulae, including the famous Orion Nebula (M42) — and some nice star clusters.

Meeting Location: Please see map below for our gathering spot on the IUSB campus, which is at the north end of Northside Hall; we’ll meet there and escort groups up to the roof. We usually have “runners” come back down periodically to accompany any stragglers, but if you arrive and nobody is there, please feel free to call Prof. Scott’s office: 574-520-5527, and we’ll arrange for someone to come meet you.

Driving Directions: Here’s a link to a Google Map showing the easiest parking location, which is labeled “MTS Parking” on the map below.

Please note that our public-observing events are all weather permitting, so be sure to check back here before coming for the definitive word on whether we’re going ahead with it.

These are public events and all are welcome!

MTS Map

Previous MTS Events:

  • 2019:
    • August 22
  •  2018:
    • August 30 (Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, Neptune and maybe Pluto; Ring Nebula [M57])
    • July 24 (Jupiter, Saturn, Moon)
  • 2016:
    • Oct. 7 (Saturn, when it emerged from the clouds)
    • Sept. 2 (Saturn, Mars, Wild Duck Cluster [M11], Ring Nebula [M57])
    • Aug. 22 (Saturn, Mars, Great Cluster in Hercules [M13], Wild Duck Cluster [M11], Ring Nebula [M57])
    • July 22 (Jupiter, Saturn, M13, M57)
    • Apr. 13 (Moon, Jupiter);
  • 2015:
    • Sept. 27 (Full Eclipse of Harvest Moon)
    • June 30 (Conjunction of Jupiter and Venus)
  • 2014:
    • Aug. 28
    • July 25
    • June 26