by Chad Jocius | Aug 24, 2022 | Observatory, Observatory Events, One-Time
Friday October 21 (8:30 pm – 10:30 pm)
When you gaze up at the night sky, through the veil of stars and the plane of the Milky Way close by, you can’t help but feel small before the grand abyss of the Universe that lies beyond. Even though nearly all of them are invisible to our eyes, our observable Universe, extending tens of billions of light years in all directions, contains a fantastically large number of galaxies within it.
The Andromeda Galaxy is the most distant object readily visible to the naked eye. It is 2.5 million light-years away. The light from it that we see right now is 2.5 million years old. We are therefore seeing the Andromeda Galaxy as it was at a time long before modern humans existed!
Come out to The Schoolyard Observatory and we will take you on a tour of visible galaxies going back in time millions of years.
Take turns looking through our 16-inch telescope at binary stars, dim planets, distant galaxies, and other sky objects. Between individual views in the observatory dome, receive a guided sky tour standing outside under the stars to appreciate the broader picture of what you see through the telescope.
This event may need to be rescheduled if the cloud cover outlook is over 40%. Please watch for a confirmation email from the observatory.
Dress appropriately for nighttime outdoor weather, and insect repellent is highly recommended.
Find tickets here!
Questions? Feel free to contact us at Observatory@hawthornhollow.org
by Chad Jocius | Aug 24, 2022 | Education, Observatory, Observatory Events, One-Time
Friday, October 7 (8:30 pm – 10:30 pm)
Come out to the Schoolyard Observatory and observe the moon in the evening sky, as it will guide you to Saturn, Jupiter, Neptune, and Uranus the gas giants of our solar system. Given clear skies, you can’t miss these bright worlds. The moon is the second-brightest celestial object, after the sun. Learn about the moon and these amazing worlds as we view them through our telescopes.
This event may need to be rescheduled if the cloud cover outlook is over 40%. Please watch for a confirmation email from the observatory.
Dress appropriately for nighttime outdoor weather, and insect repellent is highly recommended.
Find tickets here!
Questions about this event or others please contact us at Observatory@hawthornhollow.org
by Chad Jocius | Apr 15, 2022 | One-Time
Saturday, April 23 9:00 P.M.
We invite you to enjoy an evening of stargazing and telescope viewing at the Charles and Kathryn Heide Schoolyard Observatory at Hawthorn Hollow Nature Sanctuary and Arboretum. A variety of telescopes will be on hand with volunteers to guide you in seeing the night’s brightest objects. Visitors are welcome to bring personal binoculars or telescopes.
This is a free adult & family outdoor event with no set viewing schedule (arrive or depart when you want), weather permitting (less 30% clouds) with a backup date of April 30. Dress appropriately for being still in nighttime outdoor weather.
Questions? Feel free to email: observatory@hawthornhollow.org
by William Parker | Apr 15, 2022 | Observatory, Observatory Events, One-Time
Friday (Apr. 22) 9:00 pm – 11:00 pm
The Lyrids appear in Chinese writing dating back to roughly 690 BCE, making them one of the earliest meteor showers on record. On the night of April 22, the annual shower will make its appearance for 2022. The meteor shower is a result of Earth passing through the tail of the comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher. When our planet moves through this debris field, the space rocks burn up in Earth’s atmosphere, causing spectacular lights to streak across the night sky.
The Lyrids are one of the weaker annual meteor showers visible from Earth. On peak nights, they usually produce no more than 20 shooting stars per hour. The event is also unpredictable: On rare occasions, spectators are treated to incredible surges of up to 100 meteors per hour. For this reason, the Lyrids are worth checking out for diehard astronomy enthusiasts.
Come out to the Schoolyard Observatory and enjoy a relaxing evening in our anti-gravity chairs as we point out the night-sky objects and watch for meteors.
Tickets are limited so reserve soon.
This event is weather-dependent and will be canceled or rescheduled by e-mail 24 hours before the scheduled start time in the event of a cloud cover forecast greater than 30%. Reservations can be transferred for any other nightly event.
Dress appropriately for being still in nighttime outdoor weather.
Questions? Feel free to contact us at observatory@hawthornhollow.org
Purchase tickets here, or call 262-552-8196.
by William Parker | Nov 17, 2021 | Observatory, Observatory Events, One-Time
Friday (Nov. 19) 1:00 am – 4:00 am
The longest partial eclipse of the century!
A partial lunar eclipse is coming up this month – and it will be the longest of this century. The eclipse will take place overnight on November 18 and 19, when the moon slips into Earth’s shadow for 3 hours and 28 minutes, NASA said. The late November moon is also known as the “frost moon.”
Partial lunar eclipses occur when the moon does not pass completely into Earth’s shadow.
Eclipses aren’t everyday occurrences on Earth, and they’re not always easily visible. While some viewers might have to contend with middle-of-the-night scheduling for this month’s celestial event, it’s worth taking a moment to marvel at how the moon, the sun and our planet are connected as residents of this solar system.
Head on over to The Schoolyard Observatory early Friday morning and view the rare event while relaxing in our anti-gravity chairs, learning about the night sky with a guided tour, and see some spectacular telescope views.
Have questions? Please contact us at Observatory@hawthornhollow.org.
Purchase tickets here or call 262-552-8196.
by William Parker | Aug 18, 2021 | Observatory, Observatory Events, One-Time
Tuesday (September 14) 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Mercury’s orbit lies closer to the Sun than the Earth’s, meaning it always appears close to the Sun and is lost in the Sun’s glare much of the time.
It is observable for only a few weeks each time it reaches the greatest separation from the Sun – moments referred to as greatest elongation. These apparitions repeat roughly once every 3–4 months, taking place alternately in the morning and evening skies, depending on whether Mercury lies to the east of the Sun or to the west.
When it lies to the east, it rises and sets a short time after the Sun and is visible in the early evening twilight. On September 14 it will have a 26.8° eastern elongation. Observing conditions will be better at lower latitudes, from where it will be setting approximately 1.5 hours after the sun.
Come out to the Schoolyard Observatory where we will take a trip to the Western field and view Mercury through binoculars and a few field telescopes. After which we will explore other planets and our moon through our telescopes.
This 2-hour session will be confirmed by email at least 24 hours before scheduled according to the cloud cover forecast (< 30%). Tickets are transferable for any observatory nightly event in cases of poor weather conditions.
Have questions? Please contact us at Observatory@hawthornhollow.org.
Safety Precautions: During events, 6-foot social distancing will be maintained, and wearing face masks are recommended but not mandatory. Telescope eyepiece and ladder handles will be sanitized before and after each use. Dress appropriately for nighttime outdoor weather, and plan for the blood-sucking flying insects.
Purchase Tickets Here or call 262-552-8196.
