Astronomy
Observing & Observatory Details
Public Observing Programs
Our observing programs are free for everyone!
Quick View:
- Solar viewing (SunWatch) is free and held each clear Saturday & Sunday at the dam from 3-3:30 p.m., March-October.
- Night viewing (StarWatch) is held each Saturday in the months of March, April, October, & November, starting at dusk at the observatories. If poor weather, an alternate live presentation will occur in the planetarium theater.
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.
Astronomy Day
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!
Schedule of Events
1 p.m. – 4 p.m. Displays & Activities (free!) at the Pavilion
8:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Telescope observing (free!) at the observatories. If poor weather, an alternate, live tour of the night sky will occur in the planetarium theater.
Observatory Details
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).
Links to Bays Mountain Astronomical YouTube Videos
Bays Mountain has prepared some special, instructional videos regarding astronomy on YouTube. They cover many topics and include some seasonal tours of the night sky.
Watch Past Virtual Public Observing Programs That Were Broadcast Live!
Click to see:
March 25, 2022
February 4, 2022
May 22, 2021
April 17, 2021
March 13, 2021
February 20, 2021
January 16, 2021
December 12, 2020
November 14, 2020
October 17, 2020
September 26, 2020
August 25, 2020
July 24, 2020
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.
Directions
