MOAS Night Sky Festival

Event Description

Join us at MOAS and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University as we celebrate the wonders of astronomy and the night sky for Florida’s most exciting star party. Guests will be able to spot the three bright stars of the summer triangle overhead, as well as the constellation of Scorpius to the south as its brightest star Antares will light up the sky. Also, the planet Saturn will make its debut for the festival to the southeast and M31, the Andromeda galaxy will be not far to the northeast. 

Stop by MOAS for our Night Sky Festival as we peer through a wide variety of telescopes set up outside on the front entrance courtyard. We'll be taking a look at the wonders of the fall sky. Throughout the evening, we will be performing live outdoor sky tours with green laser pointers, presenting astronomy programs in the Lohman Planetarium, and offering interactive displays in the Planetarium Lobby.

Make sure to also include a trip to the nearby ERAU campus for their Astronomy Open House where you will find telescope tours, astronomy presentations, hands-on demonstrations, and have an opportunity to look through one of the largest publicly accessible telescopes in the southeastern United States. Check ERAU’s website for more information about this event: https://observatory.db.erau.edu

The outdoor portion of the MOAS Night Sky Festival is free and is weather permitting. Lohman Planetarium shows are free for members, $7.00 per show for non-members, $5.00 for children 17 and under.

Parking is limited. Planetarium shows have limited seating and are first-come, first-served.

Schedule:

• 7:00pm The Sky Tonight Live! Click to register online for "The Sky Tonight Live!"
• 8:00pm Special Planetarium Feature: Flight through the Solar System - Interstellar Visitor 3I/ATLAS
  Click to register online for The Flight Through the Solar System Live!
  
  

  Astronomers recently announced the discovery of 3I/ATLAS (C/2025 N1), only the third confirmed interstellar object to zip through our solar system. Although it’s too faint for our planetarium telescopes, you can join an in-depth presentation in the Lohmann Planetarium to learn how it was detected, measured, and what it may tell us about other star systems! Can’t wait? Explore detailed information here:
  Where is Comet 3I/ATLAS (C/2025 N1)? How to Find Comet 3I/ATLAS (C/2025 N1) in the Sky

• 9:00pm From Earth to the Universe Click to register online for From Earth to the Universe

This program partnership brings together the primary astronomy and space education facilities in the Daytona Beach area, highlighting the ERAU Observatory and MOAS Lohman Planetarium.