NIU Observatory

The Transit of Venus

On Tuesday, June 5, the NIU Observatory will observe an extremely rare astronomical event, a transit of Venus.  Venus will transit the Sun, meaning that the planet Venus will be observed crossing the face of the Sun.  The NIU Observatory will be open from 3pm-12 midnight to observe this event.  Don't miss it, the next transit of Venus will be 105 years from now!  This event is free and all are welcome.

For information about the transit of Venus, visit this site: http://www.transitofvenus.org/ . You can also download an app from this site for your Android or iPhone that will allow you to send your observations of the 2012 transit of Venus to a global experiment to measure the size of the solar system. This is a free app!

Observatory Open Thursdays and Fridays

One of the best-kept secrets at NIU is the Davis Hall observatory, which overlooks the East Lagoon.

The primary goal of the Observatory is to serve as an educational resource for NIU students and the northern Illinois community. The public is invited to visit the Observatory whenever NIU is in session. You can also check out the video produced by the Northern Star.

Photos of the so-called Super Moon of March 18, 2011.

There was a special event for families Capturing the Colorful Cosmos on September 12 and 19 of 2009. Another special event to try and observe a lunar impact occurred on October 9, 2009.

Location

Davis Hall Room 703
Normal & Locust Rds.
DeKalb, IL 60115

Davis Hall is located on Normal Rd., about one block north of Lincoln Highway. After 7:00 p.m. parking is available in the parking garage located kitty-corner from Davis Hall.

Take the Davis Hall elevator up to the 5th floor, go left to the end of the hallway, go right to the end of hallway and through the door, where you will find a staircase. Follow the signs up the staircase to Room 703.