December 2019 Public Viewing – Cancelled

UPDATE (Dec. 13, 11:30am): Due to a forecast of cloud and rain for tomorrow evening, this viewing is cancelled.

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Our next public event will take place from 6:00-8:00 pm on Saturday, December 14 (weather permitting). Everyone is welcome to drop by to have a look through our telescope.

The meeting spot for this event is room 417 of Memorial Hall (get directions and parking information). Depending on how many people are attending, you may have to wait a bit for your turn to go up to the telescope.

To access the observatory, it is necessary to be able to climb a set of stairs over one storey in height.

If the sky is cloudy on the night of the event, the viewing may have to be cancelled. This post will be updated if there are any changes to the event status.

Transit of Mercury 2019 – CANCELLED

Composite image of May 9, 2016 Mercury Transit captured by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

UPDATE: Unfortunately, due to cloudy weather, this event had to be cancelled.

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Mercury will pass in front of the Sun on November 11, 2019, allowing the planet’s silhouette to be observed with solar telescopes.

UPEI Physics will set up its solar telescopes along the Victoria Park boardwalk, near the cannons and across from the Kiwanis Dairy Bar. Everyone is welcome to stop by to get a glimpse of Mercury crossing the Sun’s face.

The location for our transit event will be the Victoria Park boardwalk near the cannons and the Kiwanis Dairy Bar (roughly marked with an X in the image above). Image is a screenshot from Google Maps.

The last Mercury transit visible from PEI in May 2016 was a blustery, partially cloudy day that made it tricky to see the planet. Hopefully the weather will cooperate this year, as there won’t be another Mercury transit visible from Charlottetown until 2049.

The sky above Charlottetown for the last Mercury transit May 9, 2016. It was 5 degrees Celsius with 60km/h wind gusts. A few hardy visitors managed to get glimpses of Mercury between breaks in the clouds.

November 2019 Public Viewing – CANCELLED

UPDATE (3:45pm Nov 2): Tonight’s viewing unfortunately has to be cancelled due to illness. We apologize for any inconvenience.

We are holding a special Mercury transit event on November 11 and have a regular nighttime viewing scheduled next for December 14.
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Our next public event will take place from 7:30-9:30 pm on Saturday, November 2 (weather permitting). Everyone is welcome to drop by to have a look through our telescope.

The meeting spot for this event is room 417 of Memorial Hall (get directions and parking information). Depending on how many people are attending, you may have to wait a bit for your turn to go up to the telescope.

To access the observatory, it is necessary to be able to climb a set of stairs over one storey in height.

If the sky is cloudy on the night of the event, the viewing may have to be cancelled. This post will be updated if there are any changes to the event status.

International Observe the Moon Night 2019


We will be participating in International Observe the Moon Night 2019 by holding a Moon-themed viewing at our observatory. Our event will take place from 7:30-9:30 pm on Saturday, October 5 (weather permitting). Everyone is welcome to drop by to have a look at the Moon through our telescope and to learn about our natural satellite.

The meeting spot for this event is room 417 of Memorial Hall (get directions and parking information). Depending on how many people are attending, you may have to wait a bit for your turn to go up to the telescope, but there will be activities and information related to the Moon available during the wait.

To access the observatory, it is necessary to be able to climb a set of stairs over one storey in height.

If the sky is cloudy on the night of the event, the viewing may have to be cancelled. This post will be updated if there are any changes to the event status.

September 2019 Public Viewing

Our next public viewing is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, September 21, from 8:30-10:00 pm, provided that the sky is clear. If the event has to be cancelled due to weather, this post will be updated.

Our observatory is on the rooftop of UPEI’s Memorial Hall, but we ask that you come first to room 417 to wait for your turn to go up to the telescope (find information on finding Memorial Hall and where to park on campus here).

All ages are welcome at this event. It is necessary to climb a flight of stairs to reach the telescope, but the elevator can be taken up to the 4th floor waiting room.

We will be holding other public viewings this fall, tentatively booked on the following dates: October 5, November 2, November 30, and December 14.