L.E. Phillips Planetarium

The stars will align for astronomy fanatics and hobbyists of the Chippewa Valley on May 2. The annual Astronomy Day for the Chippewa Valley is an event that appeals to people of all ages who have ever had a fascination with the night sky, space travel, rocketry, and other related subjects. The first part of the event will be held from 10:30am to 3pm at the north entrance of the Phillips Science Hall at UW-Eau Claire. Attendees can touch real meteorites, look at sunspots (safely), and learn about the constellations of the current night sky. A radio telescope will be set up to detect emissions from the sun, and other hands-on events include looks at spectroscopy, magnetism, and radioactivity. Short planetarium shows will be held throughout the event, and attendees will even get to build their own bottle rockets at 11:30am with a 1pm launch time (weather permitting). Then the Hobbs Observatory invites the public to enjoy a night of stargazing from 9-11pm. The observatory can be found across the road from Beaver Creek Reserve, four miles north of Fall Creek. The day’s events are being sponsored by the L.E. Phillips Planetarium and the Chippewa Valley Astronomical Society, which will be providing telescopes for use that evening at the observatory. Admission is free and open to the public and welcomes amateur and experienced stargazers alike.

Astronomy Day for the Chippewa Valley • May 2 • Phillips Science Hall (North Entrance), UW-Eau Claire • FREE