Highland Road Park Observatory

Evening Sky Viewing
2026-04-11 19:30 - 22:00 (America/Chicago) | Highland Road Park Observatory
Sunset, 7:29pm CDT. Twilight Ends, 8:53pm CDT.
Weather permitting, viewing through one or more telescopes will take place. During this time the waning crescent Moon will be below the horizon. Please keep headlights off while parking and leaving. Drive slowly! [For ages six and older. No admission fee.]
NOAA Forecast (Excellent): precipitation potential 0%, sky cover 1%, relative humidity 63%, temperature 24C, wind SE 10 km/hr

Baton Rouge Astronomical Society Meeting
2026-04-13 19:00 - 21:00
For over four decades the Baton Rouge Astronomical Society has educated countless numbers of citizens in the joys of lunar, planetary and deep-sky gazing; and factors to consider when buying a binocular, a telescope or a camera. BRAS members have constructed their own telescopes and photographic platforms; imaged comets; earned observing certificates; and discovered asteroids. Anyone interested in learning more about BRAS is invited to attend. [For ages fourteen and older. No admission fee.]

Friday Night Lecture Series: "Status of Artemis"
2026-04-17 19:30 - 20:30
Amy Northrop (acting as a JPL Solar System Ambassador) will relay the latest on humanity’s return to the Moon. [For ages twelve and older. No admission fee.]

Evening Sky Viewing
2026-04-17 20:30 - 22:00
Sunset, 7:33pm CDT. Twilight Ends, 8:58pm CDT.
Weather permitting, viewing through one or more telescopes will take place. During this time the waxing crescent Moon will be below the horizon. Please keep headlights off while parking and leaving. Drive slowly! [For ages six and older. No admission fee.]
NOAA Forecast (Very Good): precipitation potential 0%, sky cover 21%, relative humidity 69%, temperature 23C, wind S 10 km/hr

STEM Expansion: "Rocket Engineering"
2026-04-18 14:30 - 18:30
This program offers advanced topics, activity extensions and all-new games and demonstrations to older youth. Certificates are earned and archived as well as modern experiments take place. There are also giveaways and door prizes. [For ages twelve to sixteen. $15 per EBR parish registrant; $18 per other-parish registrant. Register via WebTrac; use activity number 131321. Deadline for online registration is 6pm the day (Friday) before.]

Evening Sky Viewing
2026-04-18 19:30 - 22:00
Cancelled. HRPO will close by at least 8:45pm.
Sunset, 7:33pm CDT. Twilight Ends, 8:59pm CDT.
Weather permitting, viewing through one or more telescopes will take place. During this time the waxing crescent Moon will be at a maximum altitude of 21° in Aries. Please keep headlights off while parking and leaving. Drive slowly! [For ages six and older. No admission fee.]
NOAA Forecast (Bad): precipitation potential 52%, sky cover 81%, relative humidity 77%, temperature 25C, heat index 26C, wind W 10 km/hr

International Astronomy Day
2026-04-25 15:00 - 23:00
Sunset, 7:38pm CDT. Twilight Ends, 9:05pm CDT.
Music: Moonswell.
Food Vendors: City Gelato, Rosie’s Gourment Popcorn and Bayou Bunz and Wingz.
Exhibitors: Baton Rouge Amateur Radio Club, Baton Rouge Gem and Mineral Society, Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center, BREC Art Program, EBRP Mosquito Abatement, EBRPL Bookmobile, Girls Scouts Louisiana East, LIGO, Louisiana Master Naturalists of GBR, Louisiana Space Consortium, Nachreisen, St. George Fire Protection District.
During this time the waxing gibbous Moon will be at a maximum altitude of 71° in Leo. [For ages six and older. No admission fee.]
NOAA Forecast, 3pm to 7pm (Poor): precipitation potential 38%, sky cover 41%, relative humidity 69%, temperature 29C, heat index 34C, wind SW 10 km/hr
NOAA Forecast, 7pm to 11pm (Good): precipitation potential 11%, sky cover 36%, relative humidity 85%, temperature 25C, heat index 26C, wind S 5 km/hr

American STEM: 1926-1976
2026-05-01 17:45 - 21:45
Cancelled. HRPO will not open to the public.
The great Constitutional Republic experiment has been going strong for 250 years. In addition to incalculable gifts in the areas of human rights and the arts, the United States education and capitalist and social systems (and our international partnerships) have generated enormous accomplishments in STEM fields.
[This series will follow the Community Discussion format. Part Four of Six. For ages twelve and older. No admission fee.]
NOAA Forecast (Bad): precipitation potential 68%, sky cover 88%, relative humidity 95%, temperature 16C, wind NE 16 km/hr

Science Academy: "Colonizing Mars"
2026-05-02 10:00 - 12:00
Colonizing the Moon?! And after…? Cadets will estimate the timeframe for working and living on Mars. [Participation in “Colonizing the Moon” is not a prerequisite. For ages eight to twelve. $5 per EBR-Parish Cadet; $6 per other-Parish Cadet.]
[To register, go to www.brec.org, access the registration function and use Activity Number 131320.

Evening Sky Viewing
2026-05-02 19:30 - 22:00
Sunset, 7:42pm CDT. Twilight Ends, 9:11pm CDT.
Weather permitting, viewing through one or more telescopes will take place. During this time the waning gibbous Moon will be at a maximum altitude of 10° in Libra. Please keep headlights off while parking and leaving. Drive slowly! [For ages six and older. No admission fee.]
NOAA Forecast (Excellent): precipitation potential 0%, sky cover 2%, relative humidity 80%, temperature 15C, wind N 7 km/hr

Friday Night Lecture Series: "High Proper Motion"
2026-05-08 19:30 - 20:30
Postponed due to regional effects of flash flooding.
This lecture focuses on those stars that are so close to the Solar System, human beings can actually chart their moving through outer space during the course of a lifetime. [For ages twelve and older. No admission fee.]

Evening Sky Viewing
2026-05-08 20:30 - 22:00
Cancelled.
Sunset, 7:46pm CDT. Twilight Ends, 9:17pm CDT.
Weather permitting, viewing through one or more telescopes will take place. During this time the waning gibbous Moon will be below the horizon. Please keep headlights off while parking and leaving. Drive slowly! [For ages six and older. No admission fee.]
NOAA Forecast (Bad): precipitation potential 17%, sky cover 86%, relative humidity 98%, temperature 23C, wind SE 3 km/hr

Science Academy: "ISS Expedition 14"
2026-05-09 10:00 - 12:00
Cancelled due to electrical outage.
The International Space Station is one of the greatest engineering feats in human history. From September 2006 to April 2007, Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria (together with Flight Engineers Thomas Reiter, Mikhail Tyurin and Sunita Williams) conducted experiments and did what few have done-–lived off the Earth. Cadets will build on the circuit board and sample the astronauts’ menu! [For ages eight to twelve. $5 per EBR-Parish Cadet; $6 per other-Parish Cadet.]
[To register, go to www.brec.org, access the registration function and use Activity Number 131320.]

Evening Sky Viewing
2026-05-09 19:30 - 22:00
Cancelled. HRPO will not open.
Sunset, 7:47pm CDT. Twilight Ends, 9:18pm CDT.
Weather permitting, viewing through one or more telescopes will take place. During this time the Last Quarter Moon will be below the horizon. Please keep headlights off while parking and leaving. Drive slowly! [For ages six and older. No admission fee.]
NOAA Forecast (Bad): precipitation potential 47%, sky cover 61%, relative humidity 100%, temperature 22C, wind SE 2 km/hr

Friday Night Lecture Series: "Searching for Novae"
2026-05-15 19:30 - 20:30
Several years ago, a professor declared to HRPO patrons that novae were not found at the rate previously expected. Can citizens of the Baton Rouge region help? [For ages twelve and older. No admission fee.]

Evening Sky Viewing
2026-05-15 20:30 - 22:00
Sunset, 7:51pm CDT. Twilight Ends, 9:23pm CDT.
Weather permitting, viewing through one or more telescopes will take place. During this time the waning crescent Moon will be below the horizon. Please keep headlights off while parking and leaving. Drive slowly! [For ages six and older. No admission fee.]

Science Academy: "Omega Centauri"
2026-05-16 10:00 - 12:00
Cadets will be introduced to the largest globular cluster in the Milky Way Galaxy! [For ages eight to twelve. $5 per EBR-Parish Cadet; $6 per other-Parish Cadet.]
[To register, go to www.brec.org, access the registration function and use Activity Number 131320.]

Plus Night: "Freedom 250"
2026-05-16 19:00 - 22:00
Sunset 7:52pm CDT. Twilight Ends 9:24pm CDT.
Weather permitting, viewing through one or more telescopes will take place. There will also be physical science demonstrations, a marshmallow roast, a sky tour and a game for kids to earn small prizes. During this time the New Moon will be maximum altitude of 12° in Taurus. Please keep headlights off while parking and leaving. Drive slowly! [For ages six and older. No admission fee.]

American STEM: 1976-2026
2026-05-22 19:00 - 22:00
20OGS viewing will take place from 8pm to 9:30pm.
The great Constitutional Republic experiment has been going strong for 250 years. In addition to incalculable gifts in the areas of human rights and the arts, the United States education and capitalist and social systems (and our international partnerships) have generated enormous accomplishments in STEM fields.
[This series will follow the Community Discussion format. Part Five of Six. For ages twelve and older. No admission fee.]
