Stargazing at Powell Observatory

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2024 Public Season

We are excited to announce the opening of the 2024 Public Season which will be on Saturday, May 4. Please join us for these fun and educational evenings of star gazing.

Typical public night activities include (subject to weather and staff availability):

• Solar observing
• Member telescopes
• Louisburg Community Telescope
• Presentation (see topics below)
• Live imaging with the 30" Ruisinger Telescope
• Eyepiece viewing with the 30" Ruisinger Telescope and other instruments (subject to weather and availability)

Most activities will be outside with images from the Ruisinger telescope shown remotely on a large screen.

Dress for the outdoors and bring your lawn chair and/or blanket. The field has been treated for mosquitoes but there may still be a few around so bring your repellant if desired.

• Programs will proceed clear or cloudy.
• Rain will result in cancellation.
• Check facebook.com/astronomykc for the latest updates.

Because the observatory is staffed by volunteers, we request a donation upon entry to help maintain and operate the observatory.

Requested Donation:  13 & Over: $10  |  6-12: $5  |  5 and Under: Free

(We accept cash, checks, major credit cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay.)

Powell Observatory 2024 Schedule

• May 4 at 8:00 They Only Come Out At Night
• May 11at 8:00 Traveling to Earth 2
• May 18 at 8:00 Planets In Our Solar System
• May 25 at 8:00 The Lives of Stars
• June 1 at 8:30 James Webb Telescope
• June 8 at 8:30 Waves Light Up the Universe
• June 15 at 8:30 They Only Come Out At Night
• June 22 at 8:30 Traveling to Earth 2
• June 29 at 8:30 Planets In Our Solar System
• July 6 at 8:30 The Lives of Stars
• July 13 at 8:30 The History Of the Space Program
• July 20 at 8:30 Waves Light Up the Universe
• July 27 at 8:30 They Only Come Out At Night
• Aug 3 at 8:00 Traveling to Earth 2
• Aug 10 at 8:00 Planets In Our Solar System
• Aug 17 at 8:00 The Lives of Stars
• Aug 24 at 8:00 A Brief History of Astronomy
• Aug 31 at 7:30 Waves Light up the Universe
• Sep 7 at 7:30 They Only Come Out at Night
• Sep 147:30 Traveling to Earth 2
• Sep 21 at 7:30 Planets In Our Solar System
• Sep 28 at 7:30 The Lives of Stars
• Oct 5 at 6:30 Stellar Evolution
• Oct 12 at 6:30 Waves Light Up the Universe
• Oct 21 at 6:30 They Only Come Out At Night
• Oct 26 at 6:30 A Boo-tiful Night of Mischief and Mayhem

About the Observatory

Built in 1985 by society members, the observatory is located about 25 miles South of Kansas City in Lewis-Young Park, just North of Louisburg, KS.  At this location, the skies are much darker than in the city.  The observatory has one of the largest telescopes open to the public in a five-state area - the Ruisinger Telescope, a Newtonian reflector with a 30" diameter mirror. The telescope is installed in a 20-foot dome, with an equatorial fork mount and computerized control systems.

Other instruments:

• Imaging Center with an 11" Schmidt Cassegrain telescope and iOptron mount, housed in a smaller adjacent dome.

• Louisburg Community Telescope featuring 16" and 12" Newtonian telescopes on Dobsonian mounts, housed in a separate roll-off roof building.
• Lunt solar telescope with tunable hydrogen-alpha filter and iOptron mount.

Powell Observatory is owned and operated by the Astronomical Society of Kansas City and staffed by volunteer ASKC members.