We hope you are getting ready for a interesting and eventful observing season as we are here at the UNC Charlotte Observatory. We have a few events planned for the Fall of 2026 and even more to come in the Spring. We will update this page as things get added to the calendar

UNC Charlotte’s “Future Astronomers Program”

We have a Fall program for youth age 8-14 which is a 2-part program running through Fall and Spring. The events are once a month and slots are first come first serve with 20-30 participants expected. Specific dates (always a weekend evening) will be sent after registration is completed. The program is co-hosted with two students from The North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics.

Fall Schedule:	Topic:
First weekend of September	Telescopes and Light Pollution
Second weekend of October	Viewing without a telescope
First weekend of November	Star Celebration at UNC Charlotte’s Star Party
Second weekend of December	Stellar Evolution

For more information Click here: UNC Charlotte Future Astronomers Program

To Register click here: UNC Charlotte Future Astronomers Program Registration form

Fall 2026 Star Party.

UNC Charlotte will host a Star Party at the campus observatory on Saturday, November 7th (Tentative date) from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. E.D.T.

The UNC Charlotte’s Statewide Star Party (part of North Carolina’s annual Statewide Star Party) has been postponed due to weather to May 2nd from 9-11pm. We will make announcements no later than noon on the day of the event in case of any future changes.

It will be a great event for anyone, including children and adults who want to learn more about the planets, stars and galaxies that make up our universe!

Registration is not required, but we encourage you to register (Registration Link Here) so we can better estimate numbers and to contact you directly in case of any changes or cancellations.

Even when it is slightly cloudy, we also have several physics demonstrations which are always a lot of fun to do.

A map of campus with directions to the Observatory is shown below. Please use POPLAR LANE off Cameron Boulevard and proceed to parking in LOT 26 (handicap accessible), LOT 25, or the NORTH DECK. Parking after 7 p.m. will be free of charge.

IN THE EVENT OF CLOUDY/POOR WEATHER: the event will be POSTPONED. Please check email from this observatory@uncc.edu on the day of the event for updates. Updates will also be posted no later than 2p.m on the day of the event. Updates will also be available on the Observatory’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/UNCCharlotteObservatory and on our twitter account @UNCCObservatory.

THINGS TO BRING/WEAR:

Sturdy shoes – some of the ground is unpaved and can be rough, but there are paved sidewalks as well.
Please feel free to bring binoculars or your own telescope!

Warm clothing – we do NOT have an indoor heated space and it can be cold so please wrap up warm!
Red flashlight or a Red light app for your phone. Red light does not disturb night vision as much as white light.

Stay tuned for announcements of upcoming Star Parties and astronomy events. by following our Facebook page and X account, @UNCCObservatory.

You can also use the form below if you would like to be added to the Observatory email list to receive notifications about other upcoming events.

UNC Charlotte’s Statewide Star Party (part of North Carolina’s annual Statewide Star Party) has been postponed due to weather to May 2nd from 9-11pm. We will make announcements no later than noon on the day of the event in case of any future changes.

It will be a great event for anyone, including children and adults who want to learn more about the planets, stars and galaxies that make up our universe!

Registration is not required, but we encourage you to register (Registration Link Here) so we can better estimate numbers and to contact you directly in case of postponement.

We will also have several physics demonstrations which are always a lot of fun to do.

A map of campus with directions to the Observatory is shown below. Please use POPLAR LANE off Cameron Boulevard and proceed to parking in LOT 26 (handicap accessible), LOT 25, or the NORTH DECK. Parking after 7 p.m. will be free of charge.

IN THE EVENT OF CLOUDY/POOR WEATHER: the event will be POSTPONED. Please check email from this observatory@uncc.edu on the day of the event for updates. Updates will also be posted no later than 2p.m on the day of the event. Updates will also be available on the Observatory’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/UNCCharlotteObservatory and on our twitter account @UNCCObservatory.

THINGS TO BRING/WEAR:

Sturdy shoes – some of the ground is unpaved and can be rough, but there are paved sidewalks as well.
Please feel free to bring binoculars or your own telescope!

Warm clothing – we do NOT have an indoor heated space and it can be cold so please wrap up warm!
Red flashlight or a Red light app for your phone. Red light does not disturb night vision as much as white light.

Stay tuned for announcements of upcoming Star Parties and astronomy events. by following our Facebook page and X account, @UNCCObservatory.

You can also use the form below if you would like to be added to the Observatory email list to receive notifications about other upcoming events.

Due to poor weather conditions and lack of available back up dates, the Fall 2025 Star party has been cancelled.

If you still want to get your Astronomy fix this weekend you can check out a few of the links below.

For a solid reference for any Astronomy related topics you can check out https://www.astronomycast.com/ which has around 1000 podcast covering almost everything in Astronomy or possibly visit https://www.universetoday.com/ which cover recent Astronomy related topics and even some space travel news.

For the moon you can view it at any time of the day at https://theskylive.com/moon-info

For the suns solar activity you can check out https://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/ or for general space weather conditions you can check out https://www.spaceweatherlive.com/

You can also check out NASA’s wonderful resources on the data we have on all the celestial objects in the sky at https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/

While we wish we could host more Star Parties each year, there are some fabulous alternatives. For Dark Sky Enthusiast you can check out the Charlotte Amateur Astronomers Club, which has a dark sky location about an hour’s drive from Charlotte https://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/clubs/caac/home/

For weather reports we often use https://www.cleardarksky.com/c/CharlotteNCkey.html along with other standard weather forecasting websites to get an idea of the possible range of condition

We look forward to seeing you for our Spring Star party which we will host in late April (with a backup date…)!

UNC Charlotte’s will host a Star Party at the campus observatory on Saturday, November 22nd from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. E.S.T.

It will be a great event for anyone, including children and adults who want to learn more about the planets, stars and galaxies that make up our universe!

Registration is not required, but we encourage you to register (Registration Link Here) so we can better estimate numbers and to contact you directly in case of postponement.

We will also have several physics demonstrations which are always a lot of fun to do.

A map of campus with directions to the Observatory is shown below. Please use POPLAR LANE off Cameron Boulevard and proceed to parking in LOT 26 (handicap accessible), LOT 25, or the NORTH DECK. Parking after 7 p.m. will be free of charge.

IN THE EVENT OF CLOUDY/POOR WEATHER: the event will be POSTPONED. Please check email from this observatory@uncc.edu on the day of the event for updates. Updates will also be posted no later than 2p.m on the day of the event. Updates will also be available on the Observatory’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/UNCCharlotteObservatory and on our twitter account @UNCCObservatory.

THINGS TO BRING/WEAR:

Warm clothing – we do NOT have an indoor heated space and it can be cold so please wrap up warm!
Sturdy shoes – some of the ground is unpaved and can be rough, but there are paved sidewalks as well.
Please feel free to bring binoculars or your own telescope!
Red flashlight or a Red light app for your phone. Red light does not disturb night vision as much as white light.

Stay tuned for announcements of upcoming Star Parties and astronomy events. by following our Facebook page and X account, @UNCCObservatory.

You can also use the form below if you would like to be added to the Observatory email list to receive notifications about other upcoming events.

UNC-Charlotte’s Statewide Star Party (part of North Carolina’s annual Statewide Star Party) will be held at the campus observatory on Saturday April 5th from 9:00 – 11:00 PM.

It will be a great event for children and adults who want to learn more about the planets, stars and galaxies that make up our universe!

Registration is not required, but we encourage you to register (Registration Link Here) so we can better estimate numbers and to contact you directly in case of postponement.
We will also have several physics demonstrations which are always a lot of fun to do.

A map of campus with directions to the Observatory is shown below. Please use POPLAR LANE off Cameron Boulevard and proceed to parking in LOT 26 (handicap accessible), LOT 25, or the NORTH DECK. Parking after 7 p.m. will be free of charge.

IN THE EVENT OF CLOUDY/POOR WEATHER: the event will be POSTPONED. Please check email from this observatory@uncc.edu on the day of the event for updates. Updates will also be posted no later than 5p.m on the day of the event. Updates will also be available on the Observatory’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/UNCCharlotteObservatory and on our twitter account @UNCCObservatory.

THINGS TO BRING/WEAR:

Warm clothing – we do NOT have an indoor heated space and it can be cold so please wrap up warm!
Sturdy shoes – some of the ground is unpaved and can be rough, but there are paved sidewalks as well.
Please feel free to bring binoculars or your own telescope!
Red flashlight or a Red light app for your phone. Red light does not disturb night vision as much as white light.

Stay tuned for announcements of upcoming Star Parties and astronomy events. by following our Facebook page and X account, @UNCCObservatory.

You can also use the form below if you would like to be added to the Observatory email list to receive notifications about other upcoming events.

NC-Charlotte’s Statewide Star Party (part of North Carolina’s annual Statewide Star Party) will be held at the campus observatory on Saturday April 6th from 9:00 – 11:00 PM.

It will be a great event for children and adults who want to learn more about the planets, stars and galaxies that make up our universe and is right before the April 8th Solar eclipse!

Registration is not required, but we encourage you to register here so we can better estimate numbers and to contact you directly in case of postponement.

A map of campus with directions to the Observatory is shown below.  Please use POPLAR LANE off Cameron Boulevard and proceed to parking in LOT 26 (closest), LOT 25, or the NORTH DECK. Parking after 7 p.m. will be free of charge.

IN THE EVENT OF CLOUDY WEATHER: the event will be POSTPONED. Please check email from this observatory@uncc.edu on the day of the event for updates. Updates will also be posted no later than 5p.m on the day of the event. Updates will also be available on the Observatory’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/UNCCharlotteObservatory and on our twitter account @UNCCObservatory.

THINGS TO BRING/WEAR:

• Warm clothing – we do NOT have an indoor heated space and it is cold so please wrap up warm!
• Sturdy shoes – the ground is unpaved and can be rough.
• Please feel free to bring binoculars or your own telescope!
• Red flashlight or a Red light app for your phone- Red light does not disturb night vision as much as white light.

Please email any questions you may have to  observatory@uncc.edu

Stay tuned for announcements of upcoming Star Parties and astronomy events. by following our Facebook page and Twitter account, @UNCCObservatory.

You can also use the form below if you would like to be added to the Observatory email list to receive notifications about other upcoming events.

The Department of Physics and Optical Science, In Collaboration with the Charlotte Amateur Astronomy Club, is hosting NASA’s Mission Systems Engineer for the James Webb Space telescope Mike Menzel, who will present the keynote talk.  Menzel, and other invited speakers, will explain the impact optical science and the James Webb Space Telescope have had on our understanding of our environment, from human biology to the evolution of the universe. He will be joined by faculty from the UNC Charlotte Department of Physics and Optical Sciences Jay Mathews, presenting “Changing the World with Light: Optics and Photonics for the Future” and Susan Trammell, presenting “Light as a Tool to Improve Human Health“.

The event will be held on Saturday, March 23rd from 5:00-7:30PM EST at the McKnight Hall in the Cone University Center. Attendance is free and open to the public, but registration is encouraged.

Register Here!

McKnight Auditorium is located within the Cone University Center which is located at 9025 University Rd, Charlotte, NC 28262.

Doors open at 4:30PM

The closest visitor parking is in the Cone Deck .

Biography

Mike Menzel is the NASA Mission Systems Engineer for the James Webb Space Telescope at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Menzel has held this position since he joined NASA in June of 2004. His involvement with the James Webb Project extends back to 1998 when he became the Chief Systems Engineer for Lockheed Martin’s Pre-Phase A studies for the then Next Generation Space Telescope and later for Lockheed’s Phase A James Webb Space Telescope contract. In 2001, he joined the Northrop Grumman James Webb systems engineering team. https://webb.nasa.gov/content/meetTheTeam/people/menzel.html

Talk Title “Changing the world with light: Optics and photonics for the future. “

Abstract

Optics and photonics have played a crucial role in the development of technology, enabling new devices and functionalities that have changed our daily lives and shaped the world we live in. The internet, especially the long distance lines between continents and countries, only exists because of fiber optics, and this connection between distant lands has led to a globalized economy that has changed how the world does business. Enabled by photonics, computers and smartphones play a large role in both our personal and professional lives, allowing us to communicate instantly with people across the globe and giving us access to unlimited amounts of information.  In this talk, I will introduce the field of optics and photonics, which is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. I will review how optics and photonics are used in today’s technology, and I will discuss some of the current research areas and possible future applications.

Biography

Dr. Jay Mathews is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Physics and Optical Science at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He obtained his BS with double major in Physics and Mathematics from Colorado State University in 2007, and he received his PhD in Physics from Arizona State University in 2011. Following graduation, Dr. Mathews was awarded a fellowship in the National Academy of Sciences Research Associateship Program, where he performed research for the US Army’s Benet Laboratories at Watervliet Arsenal in NY until July 2013. From 2013 until 2023, he was a faculty member in the Department of Physics at the University of Dayton in Ohio, first as Assistant Professor and later as Associate Professor. He joined the faculty at UNCC in August 2023. Dr. Mathews received an Air Force Office of Scientific Research Young Investigator Award in 2016, and he was awarded the 2019 Diversity and Inclusion Advocacy award from Optica (formerly OSA). He is the faculty adviser for the UNCC chapters of Society of Physics Students and Sigma Pi Sigma. His research is in studying the optical properties of semiconductor materials and fabrication of photonic devices.

Talk Title: “Light as a Tool to Improve Human Health“

Biography

Susan Trammell is a Professor in the Department of Physics and Optical Science at UNC Charlotte. Dr. Trammell received her undergraduate degree in Physics with Highest Honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her PhD in Astronomy/Astrophysics from the University of Texas at Austin. After completing her graduate work, she was awarded a Grainger Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in the Department of Physics at the University of Chicago. Most recently, Dr. Trammell has applied her expertise in spectroscopy and imaging to the field of biomedical imaging. Her research group is developing an intraoperative imaging modality, enhanced thermal imaging, for cancer margin delineation and monitoring blood perfusion during and after microsurgery. Her group has also developed an optical technique, light-assisted drying, to create amorphous trehalose matrices for the preservation of temperature sensitive biologics such as vaccines and nucleic acid nanoparticles.

Twenty-two Scouts in addition to siblings and chaperones participated in activities related to light pollution, revolution and orbits, moon phases, constellation building, and lunar and planetary observations.

Feel free to contact the UNC-Charlotte Observatory if you have a similar STEM related event you would like to plan!

UNC Charlotte Statewide Star Party (part of North Carolina’s annual Statewide Star Party) will be held at the campus observatory on Saturday April 22nd, from 9:00 PM – 11:00 PM.

It will be a great event for children and adults who want to learn more about the planets, stars and galaxies that make up our universe.

Registration is not required, but we encourage you to register here so we can better estimate numbers and to contact you directly in case of postponement.

A map of campus with directions to the Observatory is shown below.  Please use POPLAR LANE off Cameron Boulevard and proceed to parking in LOT 26 (closest), LOT 25, or the NORTH DECK. Parking after 7 p.m. will be free of charge.

IN THE EVENT OF CLOUDY WEATHER: the event will be POSTPONED. Please check email from this observatory@uncc.edu on the day of the event for updates. Updates will also be posted no later than 5p.m. Updates will also be available on the Observatory’s Facebook page and on our twitter account @UNCCObservatory.

THINGS TO BRING/WEAR:

• Warm clothing – we do NOT have an indoor heated space and it is cold so please wrap up warm!
• Sturdy shoes – the ground is unpaved and can be rough.
• Please feel free to bring binoculars or your own telescope!
• Red flashlight or a Red light app for your phone- Red light does not disturb night vision as much as white light.

Please email any questions you may have to  observatory@uncc.edu

Stay tuned for announcements of upcoming Star Parties and astronomy events. by following our Facebook page and Twitter account, @UNCCObservatory.

You can also use the form below if you would like to be added to the Observatory email list to receive notifications about other upcoming events.