NIU Observatory

09/10/2026

The NIU Observatory will be at Dekalb Kitefest this Sunday, and we'll have our solar telescope set up along with several other solar viewers. Stop by to say hi and take a look while you're there!

09/09/2026

It looks like we may have some clouds tonight, but the NIU observatory will still be open for our public hours from 8-10pm. If the clouds cooperate, we'll have Venus setting just as we open, and Saturn rising just as we close. We're looking forward to Saturn rising earlier and earlier each night as it transitions back to being an evening object from an early morning one.
See you up there!

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08/31/2026

Thank you to everyone who came up to view the lunar eclipse with us last Thurs for our special hours. We had over 130 folks come up over the course of the night, with a line down the stairs during the peak! We were so busy we didn't get many photos, but we'll post what we did get later today.
And remember this week starts our new fall hours! We will now be open to the public from 8-10pm every Wednesday evening (an hour earlier than our summer hours.)
See you up there!

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08/28/2026

We are currently live on our YouTube channel! The visible eclipse will start in about 30 minutes.

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

08/18/2026

The NIU Observatory will be open tomorrow night from 9-11pm for our last night of our summer hours! This week we'll be be veiwing planet Venus and first quarter moon.
Then don't forget next week we'll have our special late night hours on Thurs 8/27 to veiw the lunar eclipse, and then we'll switch to Wednesday evenings from 8-10 for our public hours beginning in September.
See you up there!
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08/11/2026

This Wednesday will be the peak of the annual Perseid Meteor Shower! While the observatory will be open from 9-11 for our public hours, we are NOT the best place to view a meteor shower! Meteors can be seen across the entire sky, while the telescope is great for focusing in on one particular spot. The best way to view the shower is to find a nice open space with lots of clear, dark sky and bring a blanket and pillow (and a beverage of your choice) so you can lie back to see the entire sky. The new moon means it will be nice and dark but it does look like we'll have some cloud cover, especially after midnight. Hopefully everyone gets a chance to see at least a few good ones!

08/07/2026

It's a beautiful sunny day out today so we thought we'd snap a nice solar photo to share. Barely a spot to be seen today!

08/03/2026

The forecast is looking stormy for this Wednesday's (8/5) public hours. For now we're still planning to be up there from 9-11pm to do tours and show off photos, but it doesn't look like we'll be able to open the dome for any observations.

07/28/2026

The forecast looks clear and cool for tomorrow (7/29) night's public hours from 9-11pm. This week we'll be watching Venus as it sets in the west, and the full moon as it rises in the east. See you up there!