Star Parties
Star Parties are the flagship public outreach events of the UIS Observatory, serving the public affairs mission of the University of Illinois Springfield.
From here you can branch off to the three different types of Star Parties we host:
- Friday Night Star Parties - Held annually on the UIS campus on Friday nights in September and October.
- Spring Star Parties - Held at the Campus Observatory once a month in the spring.
- Summer Star Parties - Held at off campus locations in the summer with community partners.
- Accessible Star Parties - Held at the campus observatory with a unique accessible telescope for people who request accessibility assistance.
Social Media
Information about upcoming Star Parties along with other fun astronomy content can be found on our social media:
- UISObservatory.bsky.social on BlueSky (no account required to view)
- @UISObservatory on X/Twitter
- @SPIAstroGuy on Instagram and Threads
Pre-Registration
Star Parties are free and open for everyone. Generally we just do walk-ups and it is rare that we run up to the limit of people whom we can have on the roof at one time.
But if you are planning to bring a larger group (i.e. a scout group) you can contact Dr. Martin (jmart5@uis.edu, 217206-8342) make sure there is space for your group on the night you plan to attend.
Fundraising
We unveiled a new rooftop deck in 2022 and a newly renovated interior space in 2023. Explore the renovation for the UIS Campus Observatory used for Star Parties
What is a Star Party?
Since 1980, thousands of people of all ages have come to the UIS observatory for Friday Night Star Parties, as well as for special astronomical events such as lunar and solar eclipses and comets.
At a typical Star Party, visitors learn about galaxies, the sun, stars, and stellar evolution, as well as star and constellation identification prior to using the telescopes. These discussions take place in the stairway gallery of astronomical pictures on the way to the rooftop observation deck atop Brookens Library. Then, the observatory director and qualified volunteers help visitors use each of the telescopes.
Over the years, stargazers have seen many celestial objects, including the moon and planets, deep-sky objects such as the Orion Nebula and other fascinating star systems, the beautiful yellow-blue double star Albireo, and the open star cluster called the Pleiades.
The Astronomy Program also offers Accessible Sunday Night Star Parties for people who are challenged by stairs and ladders and their friends and families.