The University of Illinois Springfield鈥檚 popular Friday Night Star Parties will resume the Friday after Labor Day and run through the end of October. The dates are Sept. 5, 12, 19, 26, and Oct. 3, 10, 17 and 24. Friday Night Star Parties are held from 8 to 10 p.m., weather permitting, at the UIS Observatory on the roof of Brookens Library.
The Star Parties are hosted by John Martin, UIS associate professor of astronomy-physics. This fall, the observatory鈥檚 telescopes will be used to view celestial objects, including the planet Saturn; the moon, when visible; the Ring Nebula; globular star clusters M13 and M15; and other double stars and star clusters.
The Star Party on Sept. 5 will be 鈥淐harlie鈥檚 Night鈥� to celebrate the life and contributions of UIS Star Party founder Charles Schweighauser (1936-2025). There will be a special display of photos and artifacts remembering Schweighauser and his legacy in astronomy outreach and education.
The Star Party on Oct. 3 will be the first annual Tsukimi/Harvest Moon Star Party in memory of Denyce Gammell and sponsored by Marjorie Wall茅, Ed.D. Tsukimi translates as 鈥渕oon viewing.鈥� It is a traditional Japanese autumn harvest celebration around the time of the full moon closest to the fall equinox, also known as the harvest moon. Telescope viewing and activities that evening will be moon-themed and focused.
The Star Party on Oct. 17 is part of UIS Homecoming Weekend. The observatory will be open that night for tours of the facility and the educational displays, even if the weather does not cooperate for telescope viewing.
Friday Night Star Parties are free and open to the public. Walk-ups are welcome, and no registration is required. The entrance to the observatory is located outside Brookens Library on the southeast corner of the building. Anyone with accessibility needs is encouraged to contact Martin about Accessible Star Parties.
Star Parties may be canceled due to cloudy weather. To check if the event is suitable for viewing, call 217-206-8342 at 7 p.m. on the evening of the Star Party. Participants may also follow @UISObservatory on聽听补苍诲听, or Martin鈥檚 Instagram () for updates.