Our evening star parties are free and open to the public and equipment or knowledge of astronomy are not necessary.

At our evening star parties you will discover the many wondrous celestial objects that can be seen by the naked eye including; our cratered Moon, distant stars of beautiful colours, constellations that tell of ancient lore, and planets in our solar system that hold important lessons for life on Earth, and elsewhere in the cosmos.

If you have your own binoculars or a telescope, bring it with you. We’ll help you learn about your equipment and show you around the night sky. If you’re an experienced astronomer, share your knowledge and passion for astronomy with budding astronomers.

Star parties are usually held about once a month, but we can't schedule these gatherings in advance, since good weather is important for star gazing. A tentative starry-night gathering is generally announced early on a day in which the weather forecast for that night looks promising.

We usually meet about an hour after sunset by the Trottier Observatory and Science Courtyard.



A tentatively scheduled gathering is subject to cancellation late that day, depending on how the weather develops. Final confirmation that we are "good to go", or not, will generally arrive by email around 4-5 pm the day of the tentative event.

To obtain the most up-to-date information on whether a Star Party will go ahead or not, please follow us on Twitter @sfutrottobs.

For a campus map with parking and directions, click here.

