The University of Illinois Springfield’s popular Friday Night Star Parties will resume the Friday after Labor Day and run through the end of October. The dates are Sept. 6, 13, 20, 27 and Oct. 4, 11, 18 and 25. Friday Night Star Parties are held from 8 to 10 p.m., weather permitting, at the UIS Observatory on the roof of Brookens Library.

The Star Parties are hosted by John Martin, UIS associate professor of astronomy/physics. This fall, the observatory’s telescopes will be used to view celestial objects, including the planets Jupiter and Saturn; the moon, when visible; the Ring Nebula; globular star clusters M13 and M15 and other double stars and star clusters.

Friday Night Star Parties are free and open to the public. Walk-ups are welcome, and no registration is required. The Star Party entrance to the observatory is located outside Brookens Library on the southeast corner of the building. Anyone with accessibility needs is encouraged to contact Martin about Accessible Star Parties.

Star Parties may be canceled due to cloudy weather. To check if the event is suitable for viewing, call 217-206-8342 at 7 p.m. on the evening of the Star Party. Participants may also follow @UISObservatory on X or Martin’s Instagram (@SPIAstroGuy) for updates. For more information on Star Parties, email Martin at jmart5@uis.edu.