Upcoming Events

No events are currently planned.

Since there is road construction on 61st street, we recommend parking in the church parking lot at the address in the tag below.  From the church parking lot, walk to the back of the church, toward the lake.   From the back, walk north toward the observatory.  You should be able to see the red lights of the observatory.   It is highly recommended to bring your own lawn chair, bug spray and bottled water. 

Attendees are encouraged to bring their own telescope.  

VOG History

In 2024, members of Valmont Church organized, fabricated and dedicated a 10-foot diameter professional Observatory, complete with a state-of-the-art telescope mounted on a permanent pier.  The VOG plans to hold multiple events for church members and the public, with our new capabilities. On September 27th, the church held an open-to-the-public “First-Light” event dedicating the observatory to past  Valmont members, “Stu” Strickler and Ken Crowe. The event attracted over forty people from the church and community and was considered a great success.

In addition to astronomical events, we are planning to have guest lectures to discuss latest advances in astrophysical theories, space telescope technology as well as discussions on how faith and science are not mutually exclusive. Astrophotography is another key objective of the VOG.  Our new telescope has advanced optics and has significantly more capabilities for deep-sky photography than our previous telescopes.  The VOG efforts are intended to provide knowledge  entertainment, and fellowship to our members, as well as provide an outreach to the public to introduce our church to the community.  We look forward to contacting home-school and private school organizations to discuss astronomy and introduce our facilities to the public. 

VOG UPDATE –We have exciting plans for the observatory, as the warmer weather approaches. We have a fantastic lineup of events planned that we’d love for you to join, whether you’re a seasoned stargazer or just beginning your journey into the wonders of the cosmos.There is a strong desire to have recorded and live video / web viewings at the observatory. There are new technology cameras that target and integrate deep-sky objects in real time. Deep-sky objects include galaxies and nebula. We hope to have our first live events streaming in late May and June. The ability to record also allows folks that are not available during the live telecast to check in later. It will also allow viewers to skip from viewing to viewing without having to wait for the photos to integrate. The Valmont Observatory Group is all about fostering a love for astronomy and deepening our appreciation of God’s incredible creation. Whether you’re joining us online or in person, we’d love to see you at these events. We plan to host boy and girl scouts and home-schoolers for astronomy and telescope tutorials. Feel free to reach out with any questions or suggestions for future activities.
Clear Skies