There are several choices for the public to visit the observatory and view the sky through our telescopes. In order to safely welcome back the community to campus, we will be working with the Middletown Parks & Recreation Department to streamline attendance for our public events.

 Space Nights at Van Vleck Observatory  

Join us to learn about what's up in the night sky. Each Space Night starts with a half-hour interactive presentation by a member of our department (astronomy majors, graduate students, or faculty)  on a topic of space news or recent discoveries in astronomy, followed by observing through the telescopes when it's clear. Aimed at high school level and above, but all visitors are welcome.

Schedule:  Wednesdays from 8:00-9:00PM at Van Vleck Observatory. Space Night is rain or shine, but the weather may impact if the telescopes are open. The Spring 2025 schedule is as follows: Feb. 5, 12, 19, 26; Mar. 5, 26; Apr. 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30.

To stay informed about the latest Astronomy events at Wesleyan, subscribe to our mailing list by sending an email with the subject line "subscribe astro-events" to:  Astro-Events.

 Kids' Night at the Observatory  

 Join us for kid-friendly space-related activities led by Wesleyan students, including stargazing with the campus telescopes when it's clear. Aimed at elementary school ages, but open to all.

Schedule: Friday, February 7th at 7 pm, Friday, April 4th and Friday, May 2nd at 8 pm.

Free registration is required! Register here through Middletown Parks and Rec. For entrance to this event, please give the name you registered under at the door, only those who have registered will be admitted.

 Monthly Saturday Night Observing (Runs All Year Long)  

One Saturday a month. Organized and hosted by the Astronomical Society of Greater Hartford (ASGH), these observing sessions use our refurbished 20" refracting telescope. For details, schedule, and the COVID-19 policy please visit the ASGH website. ASGH has scheduled Saturday, December 14th for public observing from 8-10PM. Please check their website for more details.