Prairie Grass Observatory Open House June 21, 2025

Eric Bowen’s image of M31 Andromeda Galaxy Captured from the Indiana Family Star Party this year at Camp Cullom. 80 x 3 minute subs using William Optics Zenithstar Z81 @ f/5.6, QHY 268C, ZWo UV/IR cut filter.

Camp Cullum’s Prairie Grass Observatory will be hosting an open house, Saturday, June 21, 2025.  This event is FREE.  Prairie Grass Observatory offers an astronomical Free Open House every month through October- weather permitting. Open Houses are timed with moon phases to maximize the dark sky or thin lunar crescent so attendees can have the best experience possible.  The scheduled Open Houses are as follows:

June 21

July 25 & 26 Star Party

August 22

September 20

October 25 Chilli Supper

Anyone coming to these free Open House events can see through some of Indiana’s largest telescopes, including a computerized 28” scope, giant 100mm binoculars, 16” scope, space movies, laser assisted constellation talks and more.

We are near the peak of solar sunspots in its 11 year cycle. Solar Prominances associated with the sunspots are spewing charged particles at Planet Earth, causing the Northern Lights.

On a good night you will be able to view:

Planets
Open Star Clusters
Galaxies
Constellations
Globular Clusters (over 100,000 stars in eyepiece)
Craters on the Moon on “Moon nights”
Often see “falling stars” or meteors
Pictures and displays
Observatory’s own meteorite collection

Open Houses are Open to the public.  Camp Cullom is located at 6815 W County Road 200 North between Jefferson and Mulberry, Indiana.

Camp Cullom and Prairie Grass Observatory receives support from your United Way for Clinton County donation

INSpace Camp students visited the Prairie Grass Observatory as part of their week-long experience.