Meetings
Astronomy Club meetings are held bi-weekly on Thursday at 7:00pm in Room 541 of Davey Labratory. During the meetings, we discuss recent events in Astronomy and give lessons to club members about how to operate the equipment used during public events.
Stargazing
Every Friday night at 8:30pm (weather permitting), Penn State's Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics and the Astronomy Club host open house stargazing events for the general public. We use the telescopes on the roof of Davey Labratory to put various astronomical objects on display. For last minute stargazing status, call 814-863-1234 ext. 7
Planetarium Shows
When Stargazing is postponed due to visibility conditions, we will typically hold planetarium shows, allowing visitors to see the night sky as it changes throughout the year. We showcase the major constellations and the mythological stories behind them. Planetarium shows are also given year round to visiting K-12 classes and some community groups. Our planetarium is on the 5th floor of Davey Laboratory, right next to Room 541.
Field Trips
The Astronomy Club will two field trips during the year. One trip will include visiting Cherry Springs, a dark site where the Milky Way is visible from the naked eye. The other trip will be determined by the joint decision of all club members.
Astrofest
Astrofest is a four night festival of Astronomy held concurrently with the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts. It features:
- Presentations given by Astronomy faculty and students
- Tours of the universe, cosmic history, our solar system, and Mars
- Stargazing & Planetarium Shows
- Rainbow Demonstrations
- Kids Activities
- Driver's Ed: Mars Rover Edition
- Make Your Own Comet!
- Astronomy Quizzes & Prizes
- NASA's Swift Satellite Booth