Virtual Star Parties
Take a virtual trip to Mt. Wilson
Star parties are a fun way to observe the night sky, especially if you do not have a telescope of your own.
During the pandemic, parties were not a great idea, but we wanted to do something for the Great Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter in December 2020. We therefore hooked up digital cameras to telescopes at Mount Wilson Observatory and broadcast the images live on the internet.
It was such a great success that we decided to have several more virtual star parties in partnership with Glendale Community College, who provided funding.
Finally, in December of 2022, another celestial event occurred: the occultation of Mars by the Moon. Once again, we set up our equipment in the 60-inch dome and hosted a live stream on YouTube. Recordings of all these events are available below.
Virtual Star Party Recordings
The Great Conjunction of 2020: A Virtual Star Party at Mount Wilson Observatory
Virtual Star Party: Occultation of Mars by the Moon
The Great Conjunction of 2020: A Virtual Star Party at Mount Wilson Observatory
Virtual Star Party: Occultation of Mars by the Moon
Mount Wilson Virtual Fields Trips
Between January and May of 2021, Carnegie Observatories, Glendale Community College, and Mount Wilson Institute ran 10 virtual field trips to the observatory. The primarily purpose was to provide educational outreach for elementary school children who were distance-learning during the pandemic. Funds normally used to bus students to Glendale's science center were used to finance the live streams.
Mount Wilson Virtual Field Trips