Rise and shine, the planets are putting on a show! 🌌 Join us at The Heide Observatory at Hawthorn Hollow for a one-of-a-kind pre-dawn cosmic adventure. August mornings bring the perfect window to catch planets rising just before sunrise, and we’ll be watching for Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune—and maybe even a surprise appearance by Mercury!
After planet-gazing, we’ll welcome the sunrise with a hot pancake and sausage breakfast (yes, coffee and juice too!) while enjoying the peaceful early-morning magic of Hawthorn Hollow. The pancake photo may be a space-level exaggeration, but we promise they’ll still be delicious. 🥞☕
🌤 Weather Watch: This event is weather-dependent and will be rescheduled if cloud cover exceeds 40%. If that happens, the backup date is the very next morning, at 3:00 AM. Because it’s an early start, please check the email used to purchase tickets before heading out.
👕 What to Wear: Dress for nighttime outdoor conditions, it can be cool before sunrise!
🎟 Tickets are limited, so don’t sleep on this (even though it’s early). Reserve your spot today and join us for planets, pancakes, and an unforgettable start to the day.
The Perseid meteor shower is one of the most dramatic things to see in the night sky between July and August.
In 2025 the Perseid meteor shower is active between 17 July and 24 August. The shower will peak 12-13 August.
The Perseid (Per-see-id) meteor shower is one of the highlights of many meteor hunters’ calendars due to its high hourly rate and bright meteors, caused by the Earth slamming into the debris left behind by comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle in July and August every year.
It is called the Perseid because the meteors seem to originate from the constellation of Perseus. Astronomers call this point the meteor shower’s radiant.
Reserve your tickets for The Heide Observatory Perseid Meteor shower event and enjoy a relaxing display of the meteors as you lay back in our zero gravity chairs. Tickets for this event go fast so reserve yours today.
Watch for an email confirmation with the address used for purchase tickets a few days prior to the event and a updated weather confirmation at least 24 hours prior to the reservation time. In the event of poor weather conditions the back-up night will be Wednesday August 13, times yet to be determined. Please feel free to email us at Observatory@hawthornhollow.org.
The Perseid meteor shower is one of the most dramatic things to see in the night sky between July and August.
In 2025 the Perseid meteor shower is active between 17 July and 24 August. The shower will peak 12-13 August.
The Perseid (Per-see-id) meteor shower is one of the highlights of many meteor hunters’ calendars due to its high hourly rate and bright meteors, caused by the Earth slamming into the debris left behind by comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle in July and August every year.
It is called the Perseid because the meteors seem to originate from the constellation of Perseus. Astronomers call this point the meteor shower’s radiant.
Reserve your tickets for The Heide Observatory Perseid Meteor shower event and enjoy a relaxing display of the meteors as you lay back in our zero gravity chairs. Tickets for this event go fast so reserve yours today.
Watch for an email confirmation with the address used for purchase tickets a few days prior to the event and a updated weather confirmation at least 24 hours prior to the reservation time. In the event of poor weather conditions the back-up night will be Wednesday August 13, times yet to be determined. Please feel free to email us at Observatory@hawthornhollow.org.
Space Camp June 2025 at The Heide Observatory
Calling All Curious Astronuts!
Blast off into an unforgettable four-night adventure under the stars at the Heide Observatory! Designed for explorers ages 10–14, Space Camp 2025 is your chance to build, test, launch, and discover like a real scientist — no prior experience required.
Each night features hands-on experiments, collaborative engineering challenges, creative problem-solving, and telescope viewing (weather permitting), all guided by real science educators in an immersive observatory setting.
Together, we’ll explore big cosmic questions like:
→ Where are we in the universe?
→ Why do things move?
→ How do rockets get to space?
→ What does it take to land on another world?
This is a science adventure built for thinkers, dreamers, and makers.
Wonder. Observe. Understand.
🗓️ June 24–27, 2025 ⏰ 7:00–10:00 PM nightly 📍 Heide Observatory at Hawthorn Hollow 💵 $200 per student 📧 Reserve your spot: observatory@hawthornhollow.org
Join us for “Dark Skies,” an interactive event dedicated to exploring and understanding light pollution and its impact on our environment and night sky visibility. Through a series of interactive stations, participants will engage in hands-on activities designed to illuminate the causes and effects of light pollution, as well as discover practical solutions to mitigate its presence in our communities. This event promises an enlightening experience for all ages, fostering awareness and inspiring action towards preserving our natural nightscapes. We will also have telescopes available for viewing of some of the fantastic spring-time deep sky objects.
We invite you to support our upcoming event through a donation-based ticket reservation system. To reserve your ticket, please click here.
Please note that Eventbrite processes one ticket per transaction. After completing your donation, kindly email us at Observatory@hawthornhollow.org to inform us of the total number of participants in your group. This information is crucial for us to allocate sufficient volunteers and enhance the event experience. As the event will be held outdoors during April evenings, we recommend dressing appropriately for nighttime temperatures. In the event of inclement weather, the event will be rescheduled to Wednesday, April 23, at 8:00 PM.
Join us at The Heidi Observatory for a mesmerizing celestial experience! The Eta Aquariids, one of two meteor showers originating from Halley’s comet, will grace the night sky with their splendor. These meteors streak through the atmosphere at an astonishing speed of about 148,000 miles per hour, earning the Eta Aquariids the reputation of being one of the fastest meteor showers.
During its peak, we typically enjoy between 20 and 30 meteors per hour, providing a captivating display for all who observe. Relax in our anti-gravity chairs and immerse yourself in the beauty of the night sky as we watch the meteors cascade overhead, while also pointing out other fascinating celestial objects.
Each 2-hour session will be confirmed by email at least 24 hours before the scheduled time, contingent upon the cloud cover forecast (less than 40%). In the event of inclement weather, tickets are transferable for any observatory nightly event.
If the email used to purchase tickets is different from your regular email, please check that email or contact me at the address below.
Do you have any questions or inquiries? Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at Observatory@hawthornhollow.org. We look forward to sharing this unforgettable experience with you!
