Things we do
Next meeting of the Central Pennsylvania Observers, Thursday June 4, 2026, 7:00 pm
Astronomy Basics: Brief Presentations by Members on Useful Topics
Some updates on the June CPO meeting—We’re having four, rather than three, Astro Basics segment– brief presentations by our members about basic topics that are useful for all amateur astronomers to know about. We’re delaying the segment on The Perks of CPO Membership because our treasurer won’t be available.
Observing my way: Dave Reasinger. Long-time member Dave Reasinger will tell us about his approach to an evening of observing the night sky. This will be the first of a series featuring various CPO members.
What can I see tonight? Wayne Osgood has been asking himself this question lately, as he tries to choose good targets for his new smart telescope. He’ll share what he has figured out about how Right Ascension combines with the calendar (and Declination) to determine what’s up there to see.
Interesting observing topic (to be announced)! Experienced observer Jim Bennett is going to talk to us about another useful Astronomy Basic topic, but he hasn’t yet decided which one. Watch this space to find out!
Enjoy the Journey: Bob Stoffregen asks the question, “What do you hope to learn from your astronomy experience?” He will talk about why he is putting more emphasis on visual observing rather than imaging these days.
DON’T FORGET ABOUT THE T-SHIRT DESIGN CONTEST FOR THE 2026 BLACK FOREST STAR PARTY.
Pizza at 7:00!
CPO Meeting:
Thursday June 4, 2026, 7:00 pm
South Hills School of School of Business & Technology
480 Waupelani Drive, State College, PA 16801
We hold star observation events throughout the summer at the Penn State Arboretum. Here is the 2026 schedule:
July 11 9:30-11:30
August 1 9:00-11:00
October 3 8:00-10:00
BFSP 2026 is tentatively to be held Sept 11 – 13 pending final approval from DCNR
Monthly Astronomy Meetings
Our meetings are open to the public. They are held (typically) on the first Thursday of each month at the South Hills Business School, 480 Waupelani Dr, State College, PA 16801 from 7-9PM.
Skywatches
Want to see what’s up in the night sky? Come and join CPO’s free night time public viewing events. We call them Skywatches, and they’re held at city parks around the State College area. You’ll be able to view celestial objects through telescopes provided by our volunteer members! We’ll tour the night sky and point out special features that will be different every month. Note that we can only hold the events when the sky is clear enough to use the telescopes, so if it is cloudy or raining we will have to cancel the session. All ages welcome, but children should be present only with a parent or guardian
Black Forest Star Party
The Black Forest Star Party (BFSP) is an annual dark-sky amateur astronomy observing event hosted by the Central Pennsylvania Observers (CPO).