Grab your chairs and blankets- Tonight, Camp Cullum’s Prairie Grass Observatory welcomes everyone to a free Open House to view the cosmos.
The observatory hosts monthly open houses through October, weather permitting, timed to align with the best moon phases for dark skies or thin lunar crescents. Upcoming dates include August 22, September 20, and October 25, which will also feature a Chili Supper.
Visitors will have the opportunity to look through some of Indiana’s largest telescopes, including a computerized 28-inch scope, giant 100mm binoculars, and a 16-inch scope. Additional activities include space movies, laser-assisted constellation talks, and more. The observatory also displays its own meteorite collection.
On a good night, attendees may observe:
Planets and their features
Open star clusters
Galaxies, including the Andromeda Galaxy (M31)
Constellations and globular clusters with over 100,000 stars in the eyepiece
Craters on the Moon during “Moon nights”
Meteors and “falling stars”
This year, solar activity is near peak, and solar prominences are sending charged particles toward Earth, creating potential Northern Lights displays.
Camp Cullum is located at 6815 W County Road 200 North, between Jefferson and Mulberry, Indiana. Open Houses are free and open to the public, thanks in part to support from the United Way for Clinton County.
Whether you’re a seasoned astronomer or just curious about the night sky, Prairie Grass Observatory offers a unique chance to explore the cosmos close to home.