Astronomy
Observing & Observatory Details
Observing & Observatory Details
Our observing programs are free for everyone!
Quick View:
Please check the calendar for the next daytime or nighttime viewing session.
Note: For the evening observing sessions, be sure to dress warmly. Dress for temperatures that are 20° colder than you expect.
The Bays Mountain Observatories are located along Bays Mountain Park Road just up from the dam. Look for the small circular building with a domed top. Please park in the main parking lot and walk to the observatory grounds.
April 8, 2024
If you are in the right part of the world, you can see a total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. This occurs when the Moon perfectly aligns with and blocks the Sun. Those on the thin path that stretches across the US will be delighted to see the Sun fully blocked and surrounded by the thin, wispy tendrils of the solar corona. It is a unique sight and you have to be in the narrow path of this alignment on the planet Earth. See the large map for the path crossing the US. You can see that the Tri-Cities is not close to this path. That means we’ll see only part of the Sun blocked by the Moon. This is called a partial solar eclipse.
Click HERE for an interactive Google Map of the eclipse. Clicking anywhere on the map will provide that locale’s beginning of the partial eclipse (C1), mid eclipse and the end of the partial eclipse when the edge of the Moon just leaves the edge of the Sun (C4). If you click on a part of the Earth that is in the path of totality, you’ll also see C2 & C3. That’s when totality starts and ends and allows one to see the Sun’s corona. It takes about three hours for the Moon to travel from west to east across the face of the Sun. Totality, though, will only last a few minutes depending on how close to the center line you are. The percentage of obscuration describes the amount of the face of the Sun that will be blocked by the Moon at mid eclipse.
If you are in the Tri-Cities of Northeast Tennessee, you still have opportunities to see the partial phases of this eclipse. At mid-eclipse, we’ll see 87% of the surface of the Sun blocked by the Moon. If you want to see it safely:
Please Note: NEVER look directly at the Sun without proper protection. There are all sorts of ways that you may hear of to view, but they may be incorrect and probably dangerous. Proper filtration of the Sun’s light only allows 1/100,000 of the Sun’s light through. Proper filters also block harmful UV.
Locally, the KINGSPORT LIBRARY in downtown Kingsport will be hosting a viewing. Please contact them for their details.
Eclipses are very special events and are perfect fun for the entire family! Whether you can visit a place to view, use your own solar glasses or project with a colander, be safe and understand that you are in direct alignment with the Sun, Moon & Earth!
Eclipse Times for the Tri-Cities of East Tennessee:
Saturday, May 18, 2024
Join the Bays Mountain Astronomy Club in celebration of The International Day of Astronomy!
Learn about the science and hobby of astronomy. Perfect fun for the entire family!
Highlights: The Bays Mountain Astronomy Club will be providing a number of fascinating displays and hands-on activities. Learn about astronomy, telescopes, careers and education in astronomy, the sun and more!
All non-planetarium astronomy-related activities are free on Astronomy Day!
Planetarium tickets are $5 per person for ages 6 and above.
Schedule of Events
1 p.m. – 4 p.m. Displays & Information (free!) at the Pavilion
Bays Mountain Park is home to two observatory structures housing a number of telescopes that include lensed refractors of 6″ & 8″, mirrored reflectors of 10″, 12.5″ & 17.5″, and more!
The Bays Mountain Astronomy Club and planetarium staff use all of these telescopes at various times through the year to show the public astronomical sights in nighttime skies.
Bays Mountain Park Clear Sky Chart
Click Here to go to the Clear Sky Chart’s website to learn how to correctly read the data. Clicking on the chart in their website brings up detailed information.
Quick View: you want dark blue for the first four rows.
Dark blue means no cloud cover, very transparent (no haze), excellent seeing (steady skies with no turbulence), and fully dark. For the next two rows, dark blue means no wind and very low humidity. The last row is temperature. Dark blue is super cold (-40°F – -31°F), white is at freezing (23°F – 32°F), and bright orange is moderate (68°F – 77°F).
Learn about the night sky with these past recordings of free, live, virtual astronomy observing sessions across the state of Tennessee!
Most of these past, live sessions were hosted by Dyer Observatory at Vanderbilt. Many telescopes/astronomers, both professional and amateur across the state of Tennessee from Kingsport to Memphis, were highlighted to show off the night sky. Occasionally, there is an event hosted by Warner Park. These events are fun for the whole family.
Use this link for Vanderbilt’s Live Programming YouTube Channel: Live From Vanderbilt
These are the organizations that have participated in these events (in alphabetical order):
Bays Mountain Park & Planetarium
BSAS – Barnard-Seyfert Astronomical Society of Nashville
McGill University – Physics Department
Vanderbilt University Community Relations
Regardless of the local weather, each site will be prepared with a cloudy weather alternative to share. The event should last about two hours. Questions can be submitted live via the YouTube link.