Hello and welcome to John Glenn Astronomy Park Program Reservation System! Program availability is based on the number of parking spaces that we have available. Currently, our limit is 70 cars. However, you may bring as many people with as you can fit in your car!
In order to keep things safe and fun, we require that you reserve your spot ahead of time. Please look through the available programs and choose the one that best fits your schedule. Please note that programs are weather dependent. We will send out an e-mail by noon on the day that a program is cancelled. So, be sure to watch for it if the weather looks cloudy.
We will occasionally add additional programs if there are interesting celestial events (comets, meteor showers, novae etc,.), so watch this space.
Before you come be sure to download the JGAP app. Our app, the JGApp, teaches you about the many features of our plaza, and how to use them to appreciate the movement of the Sun and Earth, the position of the stars, and the scale of the bodies in our solar system.
See you at JGAP!
In order to keep things safe and fun, we require that you reserve your spot ahead of time. Please look through the available programs and choose the one that best fits your schedule. Please note that programs are weather dependent. We will send out an e-mail by noon on the day that a program is cancelled. So, be sure to watch for it if the weather looks cloudy.
We will occasionally add additional programs if there are interesting celestial events (comets, meteor showers, novae etc,.), so watch this space.
Before you come be sure to download the JGAP app. Our app, the JGApp, teaches you about the many features of our plaza, and how to use them to appreciate the movement of the Sun and Earth, the position of the stars, and the scale of the bodies in our solar system.
See you at JGAP!
The Rugged First Quarter Moon
(35 spots left)
Friday April 4th 2025
The line between night and day on the moon, the terminator, runs right down the middle of the moon this Friday. This brings the mountains, valleys and craters on its surface into stark relief. On Saturday evening we may get a chance to see the Lunar X, a strange light and shadow feature that makes a bright X out of the rims of two craters. Also, Mars and Jupiter. (8:00 PM)
The line between night and day on the moon, the terminator, runs right down the middle of the moon this Friday. This brings the mountains, valleys and craters on its surface into stark relief. On Saturday evening we may get a chance to see the Lunar X, a strange light and shadow feature that makes a bright X out of the rims of two craters. Also, Mars and Jupiter. (8:00 PM)
The Rugged First Quarter Moon
(27 spots left)
Saturday April 5th 2025
The line between night and day on the moon, the terminator, runs right down the middle of the moon this Friday. This brings the mountains, valleys and craters on its surface into stark relief. On Saturday evening we may get a chance to see the Lunar X, a strange light and shadow feature that makes a bright X out of the rims of two craters. Also, Mars and Jupiter. (8:00 PM)
The line between night and day on the moon, the terminator, runs right down the middle of the moon this Friday. This brings the mountains, valleys and craters on its surface into stark relief. On Saturday evening we may get a chance to see the Lunar X, a strange light and shadow feature that makes a bright X out of the rims of two craters. Also, Mars and Jupiter. (8:00 PM)
The Micro Moon
(58 spots left)
Friday April 11th 2025
The Micro Moon: You've probably heard of a Super Moon, a full moon that occurs when it is a bit closer than usual to the Earth. This month, with the moon a bit further away than usual, we get a Micro Moon. Also Mars and Jupiter. (8:00 PM)
The Micro Moon: You've probably heard of a Super Moon, a full moon that occurs when it is a bit closer than usual to the Earth. This month, with the moon a bit further away than usual, we get a Micro Moon. Also Mars and Jupiter. (8:00 PM)
The Micro Moon
(43 spots left)
Saturday April 12th 2025
The Micro Moon: You've probably heard of a Super Moon, a full moon that occurs when it is a bit closer than usual to the Earth. This month, with the moon a bit further away than usual, we get a Micro Moon. Also Mars and Jupiter. (8:00 PM)
The Micro Moon: You've probably heard of a Super Moon, a full moon that occurs when it is a bit closer than usual to the Earth. This month, with the moon a bit further away than usual, we get a Micro Moon. Also Mars and Jupiter. (8:00 PM)
The Celestial Beehive
(42 spots left)
Friday April 18th 2025
High overhead on spring nights, in the heart of Cancer the Crab, is a strange fuzzy blob just visible to the naked eye in the dark skies of JGAP. In binoculars and small telescopes, it blooms into a beautiful star cluster. Also, we%u2019ll be saying goodbye to Orion. (8:15 PM)
High overhead on spring nights, in the heart of Cancer the Crab, is a strange fuzzy blob just visible to the naked eye in the dark skies of JGAP. In binoculars and small telescopes, it blooms into a beautiful star cluster. Also, we%u2019ll be saying goodbye to Orion. (8:15 PM)
The Celestial Beehive
(48 spots left)
Saturday April 19th 2025
High overhead on spring nights, in the heart of Cancer the Crab, is a strange fuzzy blob just visible to the naked eye in the dark skies of JGAP. In binoculars and small telescopes, it blooms into a beautiful star cluster. Also, we%u2019ll be saying goodbye to Orion. (8:15 PM)
High overhead on spring nights, in the heart of Cancer the Crab, is a strange fuzzy blob just visible to the naked eye in the dark skies of JGAP. In binoculars and small telescopes, it blooms into a beautiful star cluster. Also, we%u2019ll be saying goodbye to Orion. (8:15 PM)
Leo the Lion (8:15 PM)
(61 spots left)
Friday April 25th 2025
Perhaps the oldest of the western constellations, Leo is perfectly placed. Leo lies in the direction of many galaxies, like the pair M65 and M66. We will be hunting down these objects this weekend in dark skies.(8:15 PM)
Perhaps the oldest of the western constellations, Leo is perfectly placed. Leo lies in the direction of many galaxies, like the pair M65 and M66. We will be hunting down these objects this weekend in dark skies.(8:15 PM)
Leo the Lion
(59 spots left)
Saturday April 26th 2025
Perhaps the oldest of the western constellations, Leo is perfectly placed. Leo lies in the direction of many galaxies, like the pair M65 and M66. We will be hunting down these objects this weekend in dark skies.(8:15 PM)
Perhaps the oldest of the western constellations, Leo is perfectly placed. Leo lies in the direction of many galaxies, like the pair M65 and M66. We will be hunting down these objects this weekend in dark skies.(8:15 PM)
The Asteroids
(63 spots left)
Friday May 2nd 2025
The name %u201CAsteroid%u201D comes from the ancient Greek word meaning %u201CStar-like%u201D, and they do, indeed look like stars. This weekend, one of the brightest of them, Vesta, is well placed for viewing. It%u2019s small, and looks just like a star, but if you observe it multiple times you%u2019ll see that it does something that stars do not do: move. Also, the rugged crescent moon. (8:30 PM)
The name %u201CAsteroid%u201D comes from the ancient Greek word meaning %u201CStar-like%u201D, and they do, indeed look like stars. This weekend, one of the brightest of them, Vesta, is well placed for viewing. It%u2019s small, and looks just like a star, but if you observe it multiple times you%u2019ll see that it does something that stars do not do: move. Also, the rugged crescent moon. (8:30 PM)
The Asteroids
(62 spots left)
Saturday May 3rd 2025
The name %u201CAsteroid%u201D comes from the ancient Greek word meaning %u201CStar-like%u201D, and they do, indeed look like stars. This weekend, one of the brightest of them, Vesta, is well placed for viewing. It%u2019s small, and looks just like a star, but if you observe it multiple times you%u2019ll see that it does something that stars do not do: move. Also, the rugged crescent moon. (8:30 PM)
The name %u201CAsteroid%u201D comes from the ancient Greek word meaning %u201CStar-like%u201D, and they do, indeed look like stars. This weekend, one of the brightest of them, Vesta, is well placed for viewing. It%u2019s small, and looks just like a star, but if you observe it multiple times you%u2019ll see that it does something that stars do not do: move. Also, the rugged crescent moon. (8:30 PM)