Hammond Planetarium

09/18/2026

Weather update: Astronomy at the Beach is happening rain or shine!

Q: What happens at Astronomy at the Beach if there is unfavorable weather?
A: Absolutely everything _except_ telescopes field observing.

Presentations, clubs and organizations, nerdy science demos, etc. are all inside the tents. Bring your curiosity and your questions.
We know the forecast for Sept. 18 & 19 is looking mixed, but don't let clouds keep you home. Astronomy at the Beach runs regardless of sky conditions. If clouds or rain roll in and the telescope field can't observe, everything under the tents goes on as planned: the keynote talk ("Life in the Universe" with Dr. Dale Partin), the "How to Make a Comet" demo, Jeff MacLeod's Gemini rocket simulator, club and vendor tables, food from Civil Air Patrol Unit 437, and the DWARF mini Smart Telescope raffle drawing.

Clear skies just mean we get the telescopes out too — but either way, there's a full night of hands-on astronomy programming waiting for you. Come rain, shine, or clouds, we'll see you at Island Lake State Park!

Send a message to learn more

09/10/2026

The fall 2026 season is ready! All shows are free and open to the public.

09/08/2025

The fall shows are here! Come check out the stars of fall in the Hammond Planetarium at Henry Ford College, Dearborn.

These shows are open to the public and free!

06/11/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AcZdLhiEU/

Introducing DWARF 3, the world's most portable and all-round smart telescope.

04/18/2025

One of our presenters will be doing a talk in Northville Library on May 5 at 7PM on NASA's Mission to Touch the Sun.

Tickets are still available

https://www.facebook.com/share/15Vc316iuH/

Send a message to learn more

03/31/2025

All,
We are inviting you, our followers/ friends, and your families to attend the Ford Amateur Astronomy Club Annual Conference and Swap Meet.
The event has fantastic presentations and planetarium shows and if you want to pick up some well cared for used astronomy equipment, this is the place to be.
The event will be held this coming Saturday, April 5, at Henry Ford College in Dearborn in the Administration Building which is by the South Entrance to the college.
The event starts at 9 am and ends at 3 PM.
Event contents
General Astronomy Talks
9:30 am: Touching the Sun – Liam Finn NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
10:45 am: Astronomy: What Can Go Rong? – Ed Halash
12 N Which Eyepiece? – Gordon Hansen
1:30 pm: Astronomy vs Pretty Pictures– Adrian Bradley
Astronomy Technical Talks
9:30 am: Telescope Making – Clay Kessler
10:45 am: Nightscape Photography – Jason Guenzel
12 N: Seestar S50 & S30 – Sean Pickard
1:30 pm: Space-Time – Tim Campbell NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
Planetarium Shows
10:45 am, Noon & 1:30 pm FAAC Members - First come first serve basis
Swap Meet
All Day. Used astronomy items will be on sale…Telescopes, Eyepieces, Cameras, Binoculars, Mounts, Software, Books, and Accessories, etc.
Admission: $7.00 (children 15 and younger are Free / but must be accompanied by an adult at all times)
All talks and planetarium shows are included in the price.

You can download the official flyer here

07/19/2024

All,

There will be observing at the Observatory at the University of Michigan Dearborn campus tonight starting at 10PM.

If you are free and want to see a professional observatory and see some of the night sky come join us

Public nights allow visitors to experience the wonder of the night sky using the Observatory's telescopes with the help of the Observatory's staff of astronomers. Learn about the Moon, the planets, stars, nebulae and galaxies and see them yourself through our telescopes. •    Observing sessio...

05/11/2024

Last night's Aurora Borealis over Michigan. This is the night's images turned into a timelapse.
Taken from an all-sky camera which takes a 30-second exposure every 30 seconds all night.

Everything moving top to bottom is Aurora, at times it appears like very thin clouds moving from top to bottom.

Enjoy

05/04/2024

May the 4th be with you always

04/13/2024

Tomorrow Night 4/13/24 at 8PM. The Ford Amateur Astronomy Club will be holding its first public observation night at Spring Mill Pond in Island Lake State Recreational Area. If you have a telescope and need help, bring it along ay 7PM. If you don't have a telescope and just want to observe with us, feel free to come along and we will be happy to share views through our telescopes.

Anyone who wants to be notified about the Ford Amateur Astronomy Club public events can sign up to our notification mailing list by sending an email to FAACEvents+[email protected] and you will be notified when we hold public events.