JAY C. HORMEL NATURE CENTER

Sola Fide Observatory

  • Home
  • About
    • eNewsletters
    • FAQ/Rules
    • Trail Map
    • Education Programs
    • History
    • Staff
    • Nature Center Gifts
    • Ski & Snowshoe Rental
    • Injured/Abandoned Animals
    • 50th Anniversary
  • Programs & Events
    • Upcoming Programs and Events
    • Summer Classes
    • Calendar of Events
    • Nature Play Afternoons
    • Senior Specials
    • Eco-Blitz: Tree Week
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer
    • Friends of the Hormel Nature Center
    • Summer Mentorship Program
    • Employment
  • Facility Rental
  • Sola Fide Observatory
    • Night Sky Viewing Guide
  • Resources
    • Scavenger Hunts
    • Nature Notes
    • Radio: What's New In Nature?
    • Rain Garden
    • Pollinator Garden
    • Gravel Bed Tree Nursery
    • Sustainable Tips
    • Environmental Education Resources
  • Track Power Chair Rentals

Astronomical Viewing: Sola Fide Observatory

Public viewing nights 2023:

On select Saturdays throughout the year, the observatory will be open for free public viewing. 
*This event is weather dependent. If it is raining or cloudy it will be cancelled.*
April
22nd: 8-10pm
May
13th: 9-11pm 
27th: 9:30-11pm - Moon viewing
June
10th: 9:30-11pm 
24th: 9:30-11pm - Moon viewing
July
15th: 9:30-11pm 
29th: 9:30-11pm - Moon viewing
August
12th: Statewide Star Party - 7-11pm 
26th: 9-11pm - Moon viewing
September
16th: 9-11pm 
23rd: 9-11pm - Moon viewing
October
TBD

This is a free program and open to anyone. 


Directions

Address: 53734 180 St, Austin, MN 55912
From I-90, take Highway 218 south for 2.5 miles. Turn right (west) onto County Road 28 and drive 1 mile until you reach a stop sign. Turn left (south) onto County Road 29 and drive 1.5 miles. Turn right (west) onto 180th Street and drive 1/4 mile. The Observatory driveway will be on your right. Click here for Google Maps directions.

Resources

Local weather
Satellite images
Infrared satellite images
Comet observation page
Harvest Moon Observatory (Northfield, MN)
Sky and Telescope — Guide to Astronomy
Astronomy Magazine
Contact                                                   
Jay C. Hormel Nature Center
1304 21st St NE
Austin, MN 55912
Phone: (507) 437-7519
Email: info@hormelnaturecenter.org

Fax: (507) 396-2903
Follow Us                                               
​​Download the Spring/Summer Newsletter
  • View the Trail Map
"In the end we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; and we will understand only what we are taught."  — Baba Dioum
Review us on Yelp!
Review us on TripAdvisor!
  • Home
  • About
    • eNewsletters
    • FAQ/Rules
    • Trail Map
    • Education Programs
    • History
    • Staff
    • Nature Center Gifts
    • Ski & Snowshoe Rental
    • Injured/Abandoned Animals
    • 50th Anniversary
  • Programs & Events
    • Upcoming Programs and Events
    • Summer Classes
    • Calendar of Events
    • Nature Play Afternoons
    • Senior Specials
    • Eco-Blitz: Tree Week
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer
    • Friends of the Hormel Nature Center
    • Summer Mentorship Program
    • Employment
  • Facility Rental
  • Sola Fide Observatory
    • Night Sky Viewing Guide
  • Resources
    • Scavenger Hunts
    • Nature Notes
    • Radio: What's New In Nature?
    • Rain Garden
    • Pollinator Garden
    • Gravel Bed Tree Nursery
    • Sustainable Tips
    • Environmental Education Resources
  • Track Power Chair Rentals