September 26 & 27 – our 29th year!

The Event will be held this year
at Island Lake State Park!

6301 Kensington Rd, Brighton, MI 48116

Event is FREE! No registration required. Parking requires Recreation Passport or park entry fee (see below).

Keynote Speaker:

Br. Guy Consolmagno SJ

Born and raised in southeastern Michigan, Brother Guy is a Planetary Scientist and the Director of the the Vatican Observatory. He is also the President of the Vatican Observatory Foundation – which supports the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope on Mt. Graham near Tucson, AZ.

Click here to read more about Br. Guy

Raffle

We’re thrilled to announce that DWARF LAB is sponsoring the Grand Prize for this year’s Astronomy At The Beach raffle—a game-changing DWARF 3 Smart Telescope!

This isn’t just any telescope. Compact, user-friendly, and packed with cutting-edge tech, the DWARF 3 makes astrophotography a breeze for everyone. Capture jaw-dropping shots of the Moon, Sun, Milky Way, galaxies, and nebulae in minutes! Plus, it doubles as a powerhouse for birdwatching and stunning 1-billion-pixel panoramic photos.

What sets the DWARF 3 apart? It’s like having two telescopes in one: a 150mm telephoto lens for zooming in on distant cosmic wonders and a 6.7mm wide-angle lens for breathtaking wide shots. No other telescope in its class offers this versatility!

Want a chance to win this stellar prize? Join us at Astronomy At The Beach on September 26th & 27th at Kent Lake Beach, Island Lake Recreation Area. Raffle tickets will be available at the club tent—don’t miss out!

Can’t wait to explore the DWARF 3? Check it out now and see why it’s a must-have for every adventurer who wants to explore the land or the sky. Show some love to our sponsor and click on this link.

Lots of Telescopes on the field

Astronomers from across southeastern Michigan will set up solar telescopes during the afternoon, and telescopes of all shapes and sizes during the evening for you to observe numerous night sky objects! In 2023, we had reps from NASA Glenn who brought a giant inflatable Artemis rocket.

Jack Brisbin with Lowbrows’ telescope. Credit: Amy Cantu

Presentations and Hands-on

There will be a keynote lecture from a special guest both Friday and Saturday nights, as well as presentations by local astronomers – many of whom are volunteer NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassadors!

Jeff Kopmanis presenting “Diving into Astrophotography (without selling a kidney!)” on June 8, 2019 at the Cromaine District Library for their Alive 55+ program.

Astronomy Club Tables

Several Astronomy clubs and event hosts will be set up at tables with representatives, freebies, teacher resources, demonstrations and more! You can chat with local astronomers, and maybe schedule a lecturer to speak to your group.

This year’s theme is: Saturn!

Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest planet in our solar system.

Saturn is a massive ball made mostly of hydrogen and helium. It’s surrounded by a beautiful ring system. It’s the farthest planet from Earth discovered by the unaided human eye.

Schedule

Friday Sept. 26

4:00 – 6:00 PM: Solar Observing with Astronomers – Telescope field
7:00 – 7:30 PM: How to Make a Comet – Michigan Science Center
7:45 – 8:45 PM: Keynote by Br. Guy Consolmagno
8:30 –11:30 PM: Night Sky Observing with Astronomers – Telescope field
9:00 – 9:50 PM: Presentation: TBD
10:30 – 11:30 PM: Laser Tour of the Night Sky – Telescope field

Click here to download a PDF of the AATB Schedule

Saturday Sept. 27

4:00 – 6:00 PM: Solar Observing with Astronomers – Telescope field
7:00 – 7:30 PM: How to Make a Comet (tentative) – Michigan Science Center
7:45 – 8:45 PM: Keynote by Br. Guy Consolmagno
8:30 –11:30 PM: Night Sky Observing with Astronomers – Telescope field
9:00 – 9:50 PM: Presentation: TBD
10:30 – 11:30 PM: Laser Tour of the Night Sky – Telescope field

Food and Drink

TBD – If you are interested in providing food at this event, please contact us!

Location

The event is at Island Lake State Park

Site Plan

Field Layout

Cost and Parking

The Astronomy at the Beach event itself is free. However, it is located within a state park, so a Michigan State Park “Recreation Passport” on your license plate tag is required to get you in; a metro-park sticker is not adequate (since this is not a metro-park).

If you do not have a Recreation Passport, you can buy the annual sticker at the gate for $13 (plus a $5 convenience fee – because they really want you to buy this option when you renew your vehicle registration tags).