Public Star Parties

 LVAAS Star Parties are held at the South Mountain Facility at 620 East Rock Road, Allentown

Upcoming Public Star Parties for 2023 - see below

6:00 p.m. - Planetarium Show for families with children aged 14 and under

7:00 p.m. - pre-recorded slide show presentation on NASA's exploration of our Solar System

8:00 p.m. - regular Planetarium Show

Continuous - Observatory tours and telescope viewing

Doors will be open 15 minutes before each show, and both the planetarium shows and the talk will last for approximately 40 minutes. Seating is limited and is alocated on a first come, first seved basis. Once the seating capacity for a scheduled show has been reached and/or the show has started, the doors will be closed.

You may also have a chance to do some real stargazing with the help of an LVAAS member. If the sky is clear, you will be able to look at the Moon, a planet, a star cluster or even a distant galaxy using one of our telescopes. Weather permitting, the observatories will  be open from 7pm onwards.

LVAAS Star Parties are open to both LVAAS members and the general public so please come along and join in the fun - it is a great way to learn about astronomy!

The Red Shift snack bar and gift shop will be open all evening.

LVAAS is a member funded non-profit educational society. A $5.00 donation per adult will help us continue our outreach programs and would be greatly appreciated.

Star Party Etiquette

Flashlights: If you wish to utilize flash light around the site please use red lights only. When approaching any observatory or telescope, please make sure your flash light is turn off so that your eyes and those of the people around you have adjusted for optimal observing.

Parking: LVAAS star parties can attract many excited visitors, however, parking is limited. To ensure our parking is optimal, we often have members directing you to a parking place. When you have found a spot please turn off your headlights as soon as possible.

Pets: For safety reasons, no pets are allowed at LVAAS Star Parties.

Smoking: Smoking is not allowed on LVAAS property during a Star Party.

A NOTE TO PARENTS WITH YOUNG ASTRONOMERS

LVAAS makes every effort to provide a safe and enjoyable environment for our guests and welcomes families with young children. However, we cannot be responsible for the safety of your children during outside telescope viewing session. There will be no lights on outside the main building which means it will be very dark! There is a possibility that unattended children will wander off or trip over a telescope. We urge you not to allow you children to run around our site or be left unattended. You are solely responsible for the behavior and safety of you children while on LVAAS property.