Open Houses

Overview

Open houses are free, inclusive opportunities to learn more about astronomy and experience the universe firsthand. At each open house, members of SAS operate the telescopes and the planetarium of the Angell Hall Observatory. Guests can view astronomical objects through the 8-inch telescopes and the 0.4m telescope (weather permitting), watch a planetarium show on a number of interesting topics, or learn about the cosmos from a presentation. No special registrations or reservations are required, these events are entirely free to students and members of the public alike. 

We are planning to hold in-person meetings in accordance with the University's COVID policies for Fall 2025 and Winter 2026. Find the dates for each day below. We are looking forward to seeing many of you back and welcoming new members to SAS. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions!

Members, SAS needs you! If you are interested in volunteering to work at one of our open houses, please sign-up with your name and UMich email here. Volunteering at an open house is a great way to introduce yourself to the observatory and planetarium equipment, and a useful step in becoming trained to use these facilities yourselves. If you are interested in such training, complete the canvas course listed here.

Schedule

Open Houses are held every other Friday night during the academic year, usually starting the same week as our semesterly Mass Meetings. Some exceptions to the schedules are made to acomodate breaks from school. Planetarium shows continue as normal even if weather and sky conditions prevent observing. Three planetarium shows are held during the open house, each 40 minutes long. If conditions are not right for observing, we hold mini-lectures and Q&A on the roof instead.

          Fall 2025 Open Houses

September 5th      9:00 - 11:00 pm

September 19th    9:00 - 11:00 pm

October 3rd           9:00 – 11:00 pm 

October 17th         9:00 – 11:00 pm 

October 31st         9:00 – 11:00 pm

November 14th     8:00-10:00 pm 

November 21st     8:00-10:00 pm 

Rooftop Observing

From light-polluted Ann Arbor, the best subjects for viewing are typically the planets, the moon, the constellations, and colorful binary star systems. We also can show you a few of the brighter nebulae, star clusters, and galaxies in the sky. Visitors are encouraged to bring binoculars, and lots of questions for the present SAS members. Keep in mind that the objects we can observe depend on the time of year so there are new things to see at each open house! We will announce if observing conditions are met on our social media prior to the beginning of an open house 

Observatory Mini-Lecture + Q&A

Ann Arbor is far from the ideal observatory location, as such, we regularly have to contend with rain, snow, and cloud cover disrupting our ability to operate telescopes on the roof. If conditions are not right for observing, we will instead host mini-lectures and Q&A in the observatory. Join us for these 40 minute sessions to first  hear a quick presentation about an astronomy or observatory related topic, and spend the rest of the time asking our members, and sometimes even university professors, all of your burning questions about space!

Planetarium Shows

Angell Hall's planetarium projects more than 7000 stars, the sun, the moon, the planets, the Milky Way, and star clusters. Come see what the night sky looks like without light pollution! Planetarium shows are held during all open houses, rain or shine! Each planetarium show lasts approximately 40 minutes, and there are typically 3 shows per night. 

Location

The Angell Hall Observatory is located on the roof of Angell Hall (435 S State St), on the University of Michigan's Central Campus. Angell Hall is the western part of the four building MATH (Mason Angell Tisch Haven) complex, which also includes Mason Hall (northeast), Tisch Hall (south), Haven Hall (southeast).

The Angell Hall Planetarium is located on the third floor of Angell Hall, in room 3118. 

The Angell Hall Observatory is accessible through a doorway on the fifth floor of the northern stairwell.

Most of the entrances into the MATH complex are open in the early evening. However, they will automatically lock later in the evening, at which time you will need MCard access to enter. The most convenient and commonly-used entrances are:

• East (Diag) Entrance - This entrance is located in the middle of the MATH complex as you approach from the Diag. You will have to walk west through the ground floor of Haven Hall to reach Angell Hall. If it is locked, the MCard reader is to the left of the doors.

• West (State St.) Entrance - This entrance is located facing State St, just up the outer stairs and behind the columns. Once you enter, the elevators will be immediately to your front left. If it is locked, the MCard reader is next to a column to the left of the doors.

• The door under the North side of the stairs facing State Street will be unlocked for the open houses

Once inside the building,  make your way to the Angell Hall elevators (the ones with blue doors), and take them to either the planetarium on the third floor or the observatory on the fifth floor.

Parking

Ample public parking, both street and structure, is available all over downtown Ann Arbor. Metered street parking generally operates from 8 am - 6 pm, thus most street parking during open house hours is free (be sure to check the meter!). Nearby parking structures include the Maynard St structure (accessible from either Thompson St or Maynard St) and Liberty Square (accessible from Washington St).