We’re teaming up with Parks and Rec once again for a fresh lineup of out-of-this-world classes! Planet Pioneers (ages 8–12) and Galaxy Guild (ages 13–17) are back with all-new content, and we’re excited to introduce a trial run of our brand-new adult series: Introduction to Astronomy 101 (ages 16+). You asked for adult classes, and we heard you. We hope you’ll join us for this exciting new venture!
A big THANK YOU to all the volunteers who pitched in for our July events! Wow! It’s an exciting time with the Observatory back open and events blasting ahead, we could not do it without your generous time and help.
We’re rounding out the final days of summer with great volunteer opportunities for August. If you’re already a BPAA Volunteer, we appreciate all you do to help! Please log into VicNet to see the Calendar and sign up for a shift directly, or email volunteer@bpastro.org with the days & times you’re available. (And can’t do a whole shift, but would still like to help? Let us know, we’ll create a time to fit your schedule.)
On June 28th and again on July 26th, we turned our planetarium into an art studio where our budding artists created beautiful interpretations of the Milky Way galaxy!
And we will paint the Moon on September 27th (please note the new date)! Tickets are on sale now!
Join us on Sundial Hill for stargazing near Battle Point Observatory as BI Parks hosts “Movies in the Park” Friday nights in August. Not just the stars acting in the movies, but real stars in the sky! Our Astro Ambassadors will set up telescopes on Sundial Hill nearby, come check out the night sky and chat about all things astronomical.
All BPAA Members now have access to a digital membership card, which can be downloaded to your smartphone or printed. Show your card at the Observatory, for a discount on weekly Planetarium shows! Access your membership card by logging into your member profile from the website (bpastro.org, Membership->Member Login) and you’ll see your card under your Member profile details. Any questions, please contact membership@bpastro.org.
August’s Science Topic – Measuring the Night Sky
09 Aug 2025 19:00 – 21:00
Speaker: Erin Leigh Howard, Rubin scientist (and our very own Planetarium Manager!)
We’re thinking about starting a Zoom book club this Fall or Winter focused on biographies and memoirs about Women in STEM–and we’d love to know if you’d be interested in joining!
Tuesday August 19, 2025 7:00 PM
The Search for Planet Nine
Astronomers have long studied the orbits of the planets and many years ago noticed that some were irregular, indicating the presence of some other object or objects pulling on them. This led to the discovery of Pluto that at the time was declared a planet.