Since sunsets are so late in the evening around the June solstice, we are once again switching our public telescope viewing sessions over from nighttime to daytime for the summer months. We’ll set up one or two of our solar telescopes and view the features of Sun (safely!) in the hydrogen alpha wavelength or in white light.

Viewings will be held every 2nd Wednesday from 12:30-1:30 pm on the following dates:

• June 5 (CANCELLED due to weather)
• June 19
• July 3 (CANCELLED due to cloudy sky)
• July 17 (CANCELLED due to cloudy sky)
• July 31
• August 14: special time: 1:30-2:30pm
• August 28

The viewings are weather-dependent – if the sky is completely clouded over so that we can’t see the Sun, we’ll have to cancel the viewing or postpone it. This post will be edited with updates on the viewings as needed. (If the weather behaves in its typical fashion, about half of our scheduled viewings will be cancelled due to cloudy weather.)

All viewings will be held outside the Engineering and Physics building entrance (building #30 on the campus map). The viewing will be at ground level, so it will be accessible to anyone with mobility issues. Parking is available in lots adjacent to the building (shown on the map below) and there is no charge for parking in these lots during the summer semester.

UPDATE (10:00am May 9, 2019): The current forecast for Saturday evening is cloudy and it doesn’t look like there will be much chance of clear skies. So the telescope session scheduled for that evening is cancelled.

As we near the summer solstice, sunset times get so late that it makes it difficult to hold nighttime viewings. So we’ll switch to daytime viewings with our solar telescope starting in June (with dates to be posted soon).
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Our next public viewing is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, May 11, from 9:00-11:00 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.

UPDATE (10:30am 26 Apr 2019): Due to the rainy, cloudy forecast, this public viewing is cancelled.

We’ll be establishing our spring/summer viewing schedule soon, so check back for more details in May.

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Our next public viewing is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, April 27, from 9:15-10:30PM, 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.

UPDATE (9:18 am, Mar. 21): Clouds are forecast to move in this evening just when our viewing is scheduled, so we will have to cancel this month’s event.

We’ll be scheduling an April viewing (probably later in the month after the university examination period is finished) and we’ll post the date and time when it’s decided.

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Our next public viewing is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, March 21, from 8:30-10:00PM. (If there are many storm-related closures of UPEI on Thursdays, this date may have to be shifted to accommodate the teaching of an evening laboratory class.)

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).

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.

(UPDATE: 8:30AM Feb. 14): Due to the evening forecast calling for partly cloudy skies plus telescope operator illness, tonight’s public viewing is cancelled.

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Our next public viewing is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, February 14, from 7:00-9:00PM. (If there are many storm-related closures of UPEI on Thursdays, this date may have to be shifted to accommodate the teaching of an evening laboratory class.)

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).

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.