Hopatcong Observatory

05/28/2026

A huge shoutout to DWARF LAB for donating a DWARF mini smart telescope! We are very excited to use this as a tool to educate visitors about the cosmos. This telescope, through stacking multiple images, can resolve the spiral arms of distant galaxies (like the Whirlpool Galaxy), while the human eye can usually only see the nucleus with visual telescopes (especially in light polluted skies). Here are some photos we have been able to take with the telescope. We look forward to incorporating this telescope in our future outreach and public events.

05/10/2026

A big thanks to all who attended our Spring Constellations star party! The clouds broke just enough to see Jupiter, Venus, the Beehive Cluster, and several double stars.

We will be at the Lake Hopatcong Foundation's Block Party next Saturday. This event is a great opportunity to connect with local organizations and businesses around the lake. For more info on the block party: https://www.lakehopatcongfoundation.org/lake-hopatcong-block-party

Happy Mother's Day and clear skies 🌟

The Lake Hopatcong Block Party celebrates all facets of Lake Hopatcong life by bringing visitors together with businesses, non-profit organizations, community groups, crafters, and food vendors for a community day like no other featuring activities, raffles, giveaways, a children’s scavenger hu...

05/09/2026

Star party update 🚨 Tomorrow night's star party will proceed as planned. The event will start at 8:30 at Hopatcong Observatory (located in the Hopatcong High School courtyard).

We are excited to unveil our new telescope mount to the public. Join us as we share the wonders of the spring night sky.

We will be taking you on a guided tour of the spring constellations and highlighting some of the best objects to look for this season.

If clouds prevent telescope viewing, we will still hold the event and give a digital night sky tour presentation.

For more info about public star parties: https://www.hopatcongobservatory.org/faq

Hope to see you there!

04/26/2026

Hey folks! Join us for our inaugural star party using our new telescope mount! The star party will be on Saturday, May 9th at 8:30.

The rain date will be on May 10th. Before leaving for the observatory, check our website for the latest event status update: www.hopatcongobservatory.org

The event is free to attend, but donations are always appreciated.

Directions: https://maps.app.goo.gl/nQopL647Fk5a5crK8

04/16/2026

It's official! The Hopatcong Observatory was rededicated last week with the unveiling of its new telescope mount and pier. Last year, the club began a project to install a robust astronomy setup within the Observatory.

Local dignitaries, HHS alumni, and club members celebrated the completion of this initiative. The new telescope mount shall remain polar aligned on the sturdy pier, allowing the Observatory to reliably locate and track over 42,000 objects in the night sky.

The first object that we looked at was the planet Jupiter and its 4 Galilean moons.

Thank you to the Asterion Foundation for making this telescope mount and pier project possible.

Our inaugural star party utilizing the new setup will be announced shortly, so stay tuned.

03/10/2026

Thank you to those who attended our Parade of the Planets event! The clouds broke just in time, allowing us to see a remarkable conjunction of Venus and Saturn. In addition, we viewed other spectacular winter objects such as the Orion Nebula and the Pleiades.

Our next event will be announced shortly. Until then, keep looking skyward ✨🪐

03/07/2026

Star party update: tomorrow night is going to bring rain.

The star party has been rescheduled for Sunday, March 8th at 7:15. The time has been pushed back 1 hr due to daylight savings.

Join us as we view a spectacular conjunction of Venus and Saturn in the sky.

Be sure to dress for the weather and wear appropriate footwear, as the courtyard may be damp.

For directions, see this link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/MCaxWR7cdJF2hBfGA

Admission is free but donations are greatly appreciated.

See you there!

02/21/2026

Hey Folks,

We are excited to announce the new date for our Parade of the Planets event!

Date: Saturday, March 7th
Time: 6:15 PM
Rain date: Sunday, March 8th

Join us as we observe a beautiful conjunction of Venus and Saturn. These two planets will appear close together in the sky, creating a striking planetary pairing.

Come out for an evening of telescopic viewing and enjoy the Parade of the Planets with us.

Clear skies.

02/20/2026

The Parade of the Planets event scheduled for this weekend has been POSTPONED due to the weather - both the main event date and the rain date will be overcast.

A new date will be announced shortly. Thank you for your understanding.

02/03/2026

Lunar occultation of Regulus - February 2nd, 2026. 90-minute time lapse