University Of Saskatchewan Observatory

09/07/2025

🌟 Hey Saskatoon! 🌟

Wow — we’re still over the moon about last night 🤩 … and not just because the 🌕Full Moon🌕was our main target! 🌙 You filled our little observatory to the brim, and we’re shining bright today thanks to every single one of you. We don’t often have a line up out the door all night, and it was both heartwarming and a little mind-blowing (in the best way!) to share the night sky with so many people. ✨

🙌 A huge shoutout to for featuring us — and to everyone who shared, reposted, and spread the word. Your excitement and curiosity are what keep us inspired. From families with kids, to couples celebrating anniversaries, to all the curious minds asking great questions — you made it such a fun, unforgettable evening. 💫

Yes, the line was long (and the evening got chilly) ❄️ , but your patience and energy made it all worth it. 🌚 We stayed open an extra hour to give as many people as possible a turn at the telescope — and honestly, we loved every second. 🙌 😊

✨ We can’t wait to share the wonders of the sky with you again soon — and maybe even a rare daytime event, with a chance to try out the sunscope so many of you asked about! 🌞 🔭 Weather permitting, there’s always something new to discover. 👀 Whatever the skies bring next time, we’ll be ready to explore it with you. Until then, keep looking up, and thank you for reminding us why we love sharing astronomy with this amazing community. 💜✨

📅 Come see us on the first and third Saturdays of every month, 🌠 open 8:30-11:00pm in September🌻 and then 7:00-9:30pm through the 🍂 winter months starting in October. ❄️🔭

No reservations — just drop in free of charge.

04/08/2024

We’re all set up for the tomorrow—hopefully these clouds go away!
- the Campus Observatory will be open 11:30am-2pm; the partial eclipse reaches 45% maximum in Saskatoon at 12:52 pm
- visitors can safely view the eclipse through our antique 6-inch Duncan refractor, with its solar filter
- a video stream from our newly installed Tarasoff solar scope will be playing on the large monitor (and live on our YouTube channel)
- scientists from SuperDARN Canada will join us to discuss space weather and the solar wind’s impact on our planet
- folks from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada - RASC - Saskatoon Centre will be on site with a variety of solar telescopes
- we’ll be making pinhole cameras as an alternative way to safely see the eclipse

We hope to see you there!
University of Saskatchewan College of Arts and Science - University of Saskatchewan

10/15/2023

This image of collected last night by astronomy students with our PROMPT-USASK telescope at Sleaford Observatory shows the in a crescent phase. As Venus orbits the Sun, it goes through a full range of phases, much like the phases of our Moon as it orbits Earth. The phases of Venus were first observed by Galileo in the 17th century, and gave weight to his argument that the planets orbit the Sun and not the Earth.

10/11/2023

We have TWO events coming up this Saturday, Oct 14!
- Come visit the USask Campus Observatory in the morning, 9am-noon, to view the solar eclipse. The partial eclipse starts at 9:20am, reaches maximum at 10:33am when the Sun will be roughly half covered by the Moon, and ends at 11:50am
- In the evening, join the RASC Saskatoon Centre for our annual open house at Sleaford Observatory, our dark sky site ~30 minutes east of Saskatoon. Note the travel advisory due to construction on highway #5.

10/11/2023

We have TWO events coming up this Saturday, Oct 14!
- Come visit the USask Campus Observatory in the morning, 9am-noon, to view the solar eclipse. The partial eclipse starts at 9:20am, reaches maximum at 10:33am when the Sun will be roughly half covered by the Moon, and ends at 11:50am
- In the evening, join the RASC Saskatoon Centre for our annual open house at Sleaford Observatory, our dark sky site ~30 minutes east of Saskatoon. Note the travel advisory due to construction on highway #5.

07/13/2023

There are lots of great resources and opportunities here for teachers.

07/09/2023

Congratulations to all our USST students who worked on the RADSAT project over the past five years!

Students from the University of Saskatchewan have sent their own satellite into space. The students involved worked for five years on their RADSAT-SK CubeSat.

06/25/2023

We are all set up for today, noon-5pm. Come on out to view the Sun through our original 6-inch refractor and 90mm solar scope, learn about our current observatory renewal project, and learn how to read our sundial!

06/21/2023

Happy solstice!

06/09/2023

Would you like to become an exoplanet detective for ESA - European Space Agency? 🪐

🗓 You have time until 29 June to join the Hack an Exoplanet for secondary school students!

🤠 Transform yourself into a space detective as you analyse data from ESA's Cheops satellite to unravel the mysteries of two distant .

👇https://www.esa.int/Education/Teach_with_Exoplanets/Deadline_extended_submit_your_Hack_an_Exoplanet_project_until_29_June