Lunar Eclipse Viewing, Talks, Open House and Observing

Name: Lunar Eclipse Viewing, Talks, Open House and Observing
Start: 2026-08-27T19:30:00-05:00
End: 2026-08-28T00:00:00-05:00
Location: Milwaukee Astronomical Society

Schedule

Thu, 27 Aug, 2026 at 07:30 pm to Fri, 28 Aug, 2026 at 12:00 am

UTC-05:00

Location

Milwaukee Astronomical Society | New Berlin, WI

Come on out to our nearly 100-year-old, 3-acre observatory in New Berlin, WI, for a night with the near total lunar eclipse deep into the night.
We will start off at 7pm for a talk about eclipse chasing, by astrophotographers Todd Weiler, and William Gottemoeller to start off the night. Learn how to chase eclipses, best photography settings to try, and more tips from our members.
Meanwhile while it darkens outside, volunteers will be positioned for night sky viewing through our many telescopes on site as weather allows. Volunteers will offer a tour, guide the telescopes, show you some of the most exciting deep sky objects in the night sky like galaxies, star clusters, nebulas, and answer any of your questions on what it's like to be a member of the Milwaukee Astronomical Society.
Then continue to stay late for the peak of a lunar eclipse if it's clear, where about 93% of the moon will enter Earth’s dark umbral shadow. For the most part, the August 27-28, 2026, lunar eclipse will appear nearly as a total lunar eclipse of the moon. In other words, as the eclipse progresses and is near maximum eclipse, you should notice the red glow of totality and bright white patch along the moon’s northeastern limb.
We will also have activities and information from the Horwitz De-Remer Planetarium on site until 9:30pm. Learn more about our neighborhood planetarium here: https://sdw.waukesha.k12.wi.us/o/planetarium
This will be a great opportunity to learn more about Astronomy opportunities nearby in the Milwaukee area by stopping out, rain or shine.
Join members of the Milwaukee Astronomical Society at www.milwaukeeastro.org/join this year! Being a member means you can stop by every Saturday Members Night through 2026 to use the observatory, or enjoy our scope rentals as a member, and all the perks of being a member for just $52 for the whole family - so come see what that is like . It's one of the most understated deals in Southeastern Wisconsin! Inquire at the welcome table when you arrive for more information, or join now and start enjoying these spring members nights as soon as you can! Please review our website at www.milwaukeeastro.org for more information about us. Low cost student rates for high school students are available, and individual $46 rates are available too.
Note: While this public event is free, our observatory and facilities are maintained entirely by volunteers and our low-priced membership fees, so donations and gifts are encouraged if you enjoyed your visit. As parking does take a toll on our grounds, so a minimum of at least a $5 donation is encouraged per person.
Please dress for the weather - our meeting hall is air conditioned and heated, and bathrooms are available on site. Bug spray and a flash light is encouraged and if there is observing, please be courteous of other viewers by limiting bright lights or applying red tape over the top of your flashlight (tape available at our welcome table!). We hope to see you soon!
Q&A: As we are an all-volunteer society, please note we do not have a telephone to call, so please check out some Q&A we tend to get below:
Is there parking? Yes, there is parking on site, just pay attention to our brave vested volunteers for instructions when parking and tip them for a job well done fitting all cars onto our grounds and lot!
Is it accessible / ADA? Yes, our meeting hall is accessible by a wheelchair, please ask for a ramp. A rear walking ramp is also on the back of the meeting hall. Most other buildings are ground level with exception of 3 buildings where the bulk of activity is not taking place.
Is this friendly for kids? Yes, we are not educators but try our best to make the night sky fun. Activities for kids will be out, including our night "starry theater" to make constellations, and our local planetarium has activities as well.
How do you stay in business? We are all volunteer, so when you visit just become a member or donate - between donation, membership and all star volunteers, that's how we stay afloat, it's as simple as that! We truly are community run.