Upcoming Events

The first event is planned for September 12th, and the second event is planned for October 10th, starting approximately one hour after sunset.  

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.  

At the beginning of the event on September 12th, we should be able to see many of the deep-sky objects in the middle of the Milky Way in the constellation Sagittarius .  As the evening progresses we will see some beautiful galaxies such as Andromeda  and Pinwheel Galaxies as well as planetary nebulae, such as the dumbbell nebula. It is our intention to complete a half-Messier Marathon and view at least 55 Messier objects.  This is an open event, and guests are encouraged to bring friends.  

Note: it is typical for clouds to develop shortly after sunset, as moisture in the air condenses.   It is expected for skies to clear as the evening progresses.    More information on the October 10th event will be forthcoming. 

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