Free stargazing party this weekend put on by SIU

CARBONDALE, Ill. (KFVS) -It’ll be a star-studded event at Southern Illinois University (SIU) tomorrow night for planet enthusiasts.

SIU, along with partners like the Adler Planetarium of Chicago and the Astronomical Association of Southern Illinois, are putting on a star party for anyone who wants a closer look into space.

Saturday evening, beginning at 7 p.m. out at the SIU farms in Jackson County, families and stargazers will have a chance to have guided observations of the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn and more.

Those coming to explore the solar system will have to park on SIU campus lot 63, at the corner of Oakland and Chautauqua.

A free shuttle will take you out to the property and back.

Admission is free and event leaders are telling everyone to bring their own chairs and blankets to enjoy an evening under the stars.

“We started these star parties after the last eclipse in 2017 and just got great turn out for it, so this is something that keeps people excited and gets them out to look at the sky a little bit,” said Robert Baer, Staff member in the SIU School of Physics and Applied Physics.

This event is a bit of a prelude to the 2024 eclipse which is about 20 months away. Other SIU observation gatherings this year also include the November Lunar Eclipse, which occurs early in the morning on November 11, 2022.

Those looking to enjoy some fun under the stars tomorrow; it looks like some great weather. Again, the event begins at 7 p.m. and goes all the way until midnight.

There is no public parking at the event site. Concessions are available.

For more information on this event, you can find it on SIU website.

Copyright 2022 KFVS. All rights reserved.