Upcoming Events at the Observatories
Follow this page for the latest information on events happening at the Observatories. Please note that times and dates may change. View the Calendar Page for the full year schedule. Check back here for the latest information.
Observing Opportunity
Clear Sky ONLY
Gathering April 20, 2024
Members and their guests, Volunteers, Amateurs (from any astronomy group or society) are welcome to set up their own personal gear to observe from the amphitheater of the Ryan Observatory. This opportunity provides a secure dark sky location and practice with your equipment. With good conditions, we can see the Milky Way from the Observatory site.
Bring your own personal gear to observe.
A Rittenhouse Representative will be on site at Astronomical Twilight to turn of lighting for deep sky observation and photography.
Open House
All Weather Event ~ May 11, 2024
All Interested Welcome To Attend!
7:15 PM Observatories Open / Telescope Set-up, Observing through evening weather permitting
7:30 PM Indoor Presentation / Citizens Science Project: Globe at Night
8:30 PM Outdoor Presentation / Planet Report
8:45 PM Outdoor Presentation / Celestial Highlights; Laser Guided Sky Tour, Focus on Bootes: The Herdsman
9:45 PM Last Call for Observation through telescopes
10:00 PM Visitor Center closes , Event Ends
Open House
All Weather Event ~ June 8, 2024
All Interested Welcome To Attend!
7:15 PM Observatories Open / Telescope Set-up, Observing through evening weather permitting
7:30 PM Indoor Presentation / Welcome Citizen Science Project ~ Globe at Night
7:40 PM Indoor Presentation / Astrophotography: A Brief Introduction , Lydell Nunn NASA Solar System Ambassador
8:30 PM Outdoor Presentation / Planet Report
8:45 PM Outdoor Presentation / Celestial Highlights; Laser Guided Sky Tour: Focus on Lyra (Bring your Binoculars!)
9:45 PM Last Call for Observation through telescopes
10:00 PM Visitor Center closes , Event Ends
Open House
All Weather Event ~July 13, 2024
All Interested Welcome To Attend!
7:15 PM Observatories Open / Telescope Set-up, Observing through evening weather
10:00 PM Visitor Center closes , Event Ends
Open House
All Weather Event ~August 10, 2024
All Interested Welcome To Attend!
7:15 PM Observatories Open / Telescope Set-up, Observing through evening weather
10:00 PM Visitor Center closes , Event Ends
Open House
All Weather Event ~ September 14, 2024
All Interested Welcome To Attend!
7:15 PM Observatories Open / Telescope Set-up, Observing through evening weather
10:00 PM Visitor Center closes , Event Ends
Open House
All Weather Event ~ October 12, 2024
All Interested Welcome To Attend!
7:15 PM Observatories Open / Telescope Set-up, Observing through evening weather
10:00 PM Visitor Center closes , Event Ends
Open House
All Weather Event ~ November 9, 2024
All Interested Welcome To Attend!
7:15 PM Observatories Open / Telescope Set-up, Observing through evening weather
10:00 PM Visitor Center closes , Event Ends
Open House
All Weather Event ~ December 14, 2024
All Interested Welcome To Attend!
7:15 PM Observatories Open / Telescope Set-up, Observing through evening weather
10:00 PM Visitor Center closes , Event Ends
VIEW PAST EVENTS BELOW
Observing Opportunity
Clear Sky ONLY
Gathering April 20, 2024
Members and their guests, Volunteers, Amateurs (from any astronomy group or society) are welcome to set up their own personal gear to observe from the amphitheater of the Ryan Observatory. This opportunity provides a secure dark sky location and practice with your equipment. With good conditions, we can see the Milky Way from the Observatory site.
Bring your own personal gear to observe.
A Rittenhouse Representative will be on site at Astronomical Twilight to turn of lighting for deep sky observation and photography.
Open House
All Weather Event ~ April 13, 2024
All Interested Welcome To Attend!
7:15 PM Observatories Open / Telescope Set-up, Observing through evening weather permitting
7:30 PM Indoor Presentation / Welcome, Globe at Night
7:40 PM Indoor Presentation / Space Rocks ~ What does a rock from Outer Space look like? feel like? .. Lets find out! ~ Roxanne Kamin*
8:05 PM Indoor Presentation / Citizen Science: Globe at Night Application
8:05 PM Indoor Display / National Poetry Month : Scott Anderson, Poet Laureate
8:30 PM Outdoor Presentation / Planet Report~ Denise Vacca
8:45 PM Outdoor Presentation / Celestial Highlights; Laser Guided Sky Tour
9:45 PM Last Call for Observation through telescopes
10:00 PM Visitor Center closes , Event Ends
*Special Guest Presenter Roxanne Kamin~ Ryan Observatory Astronomer
Space Rocks
Have you ever wondered what a rock from space (known as a meteorite) looks like up close? Hold one in your hand? Feel how heavy or light it is? Join us as we explore the different kinds meteorites and talk about where they come from.
Honoring Veteran's Day
Well no, but we can still dream, can’t we?
Keynote presentation by Jonathan Shea, Lt. Colonel, United States Space Force will give us an overview of the Space Force and the US Army’s space plans.
All about our Moon
Moon Music in our Media
by Lori Weidner
International Observe the Moon Month
Rain event will be inside the Visitors Center.
Painting by Lora
Lora from Piggy Hill Art Studio in Strasburg will provide a demonstration and create a painting, the sale of which will benefit the observatory fund at Ryan Observatory. Weather permitting, the evening will include views from the observatories telescopes, personal telescopes, personal binoculars and the first public views through the observatory’s new 25” binocular telescope.
Music from the Universe
Raymond and Barbara Blydenburgh and OSAAT Studio bring their team of vocalists and musicians to Ryan Observatory with a Multi-media/Musical tribute
Artistic Cosmology
Presentation and interactive sketching with Burt Aulisio. Burt is an award winning artist of Spacescapes, including nebulae, galaxies, the solar system, planets, civilizations and others. His most recent work is on his Facebook page - Galacticart.
Burt, who lives and works in the Lancaster area, will describe his journey to becoming an award-winning artist, and will oversee and guide members of the audience in creating their own piece of space art.
June Open House
Remote Sensing presented by Dr. Bradley Doorn from NASA Headquarters
Night Sky Tours
Observatory Views
Original new monthly poem by Scott Anderson
May Open House
Dr. Stephen Grieco presents a multimedia experience with "Dark Adaptation", a contemporary dance, music, and visual art experience inspired by relationships between celestial bodies and earthly bodies.
We also will have our usual Night Sky and Observatory Tours, and a new original poem by Scott Anderson
April Open House
First Open House of the year. Our program honors National Poetry Month with cyber school students in a discussion of how art and science influence their outlook and behavior. We will also have—
New original monthly poem by Scott Anderson, Ryan Observatory Poet Laureate
Previewing of Phase 1 of the stARTs path with interpretive sign
Night Sky Tour
View selected objects in the telescope
Image selected objects in the imaging observatory
View objects in 3D through the world’s largest binocular telescope designed for public viewing.
Messier Marathon
Join us at the observatory and surrounding grounds to observe the Messier objects (or anything else up there). Bring your own telescope or camera or binoculars, and of course your eyes. Power for mounts and accessories is available, but bring your own warm weather clothing, snacks, hot beverage, and comfortable seating.
Park gates will be open until 6:30 p.m. so come early to set up.
Alcohol is not permitted in the Park or on Constellation property.
Rain Date is one week later on March 25.
November 2022 Open House
Experience with us an interactive, perhaps multi-media laden, discussion between ROMR’s favorite Astronomer, Derrick Pitts and ROMR’s new Poet Laureate, Scott Anderson. Both will be live and will respond to audience questions from their unique points of view, illustrating how Art advances Scientific thinking and how Science informs the creative Artist— each of us having some measure of both in our makeup.