The University of Illinois Springfield’s popular Friday Night Star Parties will resume the Friday after Labor Day and run through the end of October. Those dates include Sept. 8, 15, 22 and 29 and Oct. 6, 13, 20 and 27. Friday Night Star Parties are held from 8 to 10 p.m., weather permitting, at the UIS Observatory on the roof of Brookens Library.
Star parties are hosted by John Martin, UIS associate professor of astronomy/physics. The observatory’s telescopes will be used to view celestial objects, including the planets Jupiter and Saturn; the moon, when visible; the Ring Nebula; globular star clusters M13 and M15 and other double stars and star clusters.
Friday Night Star Parties are free and open to the public. Walk-ups are welcome but patrons are encouraged to pre-register so they can receive updates and information about the event (including the weather). The star party entrance to the campus observatory is located outside Brookens Library on the southeast corner of the building.
Star parties may be canceled due to cloudy weather. Questions about whether the weather is suitable for viewing should be directed to 217-206-8342 at 7 p.m. on the evening of the star party. Participants may also follow the UIS Observatory (@UISObservatory) on Twitter/X or Martin’s Instagram (@SPIAstroGuy) for updates.
Persons with accessibility issues are encouraged to contact Martin at jmart5@uis.edu about accessible star parties.