The Public Open Night at the Observatory is a chance for people to come observe the night sky through telescopes and see things they otherwise might not get to see, and learn some astronomy as well. We have run the Open Nights since 1967.
The Open Nights are held most Wednesday evenings throughout the year, weather permitting.
Will Open Night be held tonight?
There are three ways to check if Open Night will be held tonight:
- Call our information number at 617-353-2630, no earlier than two hours before the scheduled starting time, or
- Check for updates on our Twitter feed at twitter.com/buobservatory, or
- The same updates are also posted at mastodon.social/@buobservatory.
Tickets are Required
Public Open Nights are open to everyone, however space is limited. Ticket reservations for admission are managed through the BU Open Night Eventbrite site.
Tickets are free, limited to 5 per person, and made available on Thursday mornings at 11am (EDT). More details can be found on the Eventbrite page.
Start Time
The program starts promptly at 7:30pm from October to March, and 8:30pm from April to September.
Please arrive early as there is no admittance once the program begins.
We start admitting ticketed guests 10 minutes before the program begins. Right before the program starts and after all the ticketed guests that are present are admitted, we will admit any non-ticketed guests until we reach capacity.
No unaccompanied minors will be admitted.
Location
The Public Open Night is held at the Coit Observatory at Boston University. We are located at 725 Commonwealth Avenue in Boston, MA, above the Astronomy Department. The stairwell up to the Observatory is on the fifth floor just to the left of room 520.
Unfortunately, the Observatory is only accessible via stairs.
Weather
The weather is always a factor when observing. Unfortunately we can’t control the weather and we can’t observe when there are clouds, haze, or rain; so when the weather is bad, the Open Night will be canceled. Predicting the weather in New England isn’t easy, so we won’t know if the Open Night will be held or not until the day of the program. This lets us make the decision as late as possible while still giving those who live farther away time to get here. Remember, it gets very cold in Boston in the winter and the telescopes are outside, so dress warmly.
FAQ Answers and Contact Form
For answers to our most frequently asked questions, and a contact form in case we haven’t answered your question, please visit our Open Night FAQ and Contact Form site.