Public Outreach

Leiter Family Observatory & Planetarium | Public Observing

Public Observing Nights

Twice a month, the Department of Astronomy at Yale University runs a public night, where the public can come and look through one of the Department's many telescopes and have questions answered about astronomy. The astronomical objects we view change seasonally, and range from the Moon to the planets (such as Jupiter, Saturn, Mars and Venus) to nearby star clusters and galaxies. All members of the public are invited and encouraged to join us for these events.

Any questions about the status of public nights can be directed to or .

kids

Free to the public, all ages welcome.

(No public observing nights are currently scheduled.)

Observing Status Explanation

On: The observing will go on as schedule.
Off: The observing has been cancelled, usually due to weather.
Undetermined: We don't know if we're going to be able to observe yet.

Please Note

  1. Please do not arrive earlier than the posted observing start time.
  2. As this is an outdoor activity, if there is bad weather or forecasts of bad weather, we must cancel the observing.
  3. The final decision as to whether or not the observing will occur will be posted here by 5:00 pm on the day of the public night.
  4. Currently, public nights are held on the first and third Tuesday of each month.
  5. Due to construction, bathroom facilites at the observatory are currently limited to portable toilets.

Related Information

Additional observation nights are also organized by the Society for Telescopes and Astronomical Research and Recreation at Yale (STARRY). For more information, visit their web page.

The Astronomy Society of New Haven also organizes public observing. For more information, call 432-3921, or check their web page.

Image Credits: (header) NASA, ESA, J. Clarke (Boston University), and Z. Levay (STScI)

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© 2009 Yale University. All Rights Reserved.

At a Glance

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  • Location

Leitner Family Observatory

355 Prospect St.

New Haven, CT 06511

(203) 285-8840

 

View directions and map

  • Contact Person

, Observatory Director

Yale University

© 2009 Yale University. All Rights Reserved.