Sharing the Night Sky with the Public Since 1949

For over seventy-five years, the Denver Astronomical Society has brought together stargazers across the Denver metropolitan area and beyond. The society hosts dozens of events and activities yearly to promote amateur astronomy across our unique region, one mile nearer the stars.

June

8:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Open House

Looking for a FREE fun family activity? Join the Denver Astronomical Society for our monthly Open House Saturday night at dusk. This event will occur on the south lawn of DU’s historic Chamberlin Observatory, 2930 E. Warren Avenue, Denver. Weather … Read More ...

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DAS Outreach Needs You (Yes, YOU!)

My name is Maria, and I lead the Community Outreach Program for the Denver Astronomical Society. I am not an astronomer. I’m 26 years old, and I work as a park planner. My only professional or educational experience in astronomy is from my high school physics class. I didn’t look through a telescope until I was 22, and I couldn’t identify a single star in the sky aside from Orion’s Belt until I was 23. I am an astronomer only by passion, and a very new one at that. I joined DAS, asking myself, “How can I meaningfully contribute to this community when…
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What’s Up in Denver? February 16th through 22nd, 2026

Here’s a brief look at what’s going on in the Mile High City this week. February 16 (Presidents’ Day): Tonight is a great night to catch the Great Red Spot of Jupiter with a telescope high overhead in the constellation Gemini, as the giant, spiral storm makes its way across the face of the gas giant between approximately 7:00 and 11:00PM February 17: NASA Night Sky Network: A Storm of Stars: Knowing the Milky Way from Star Counts to Gravitational Waves with Shane Larson: Free Virtual Event via YouTube: 7:00 PM New Worm Moon: 5:01 AM Annular Solar Eclipse. Sadly,…
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What’s Up in Denver? February 9th through 15th, 2026

Here’s a brief look at what’s going on in the Mile High City this week. February 9: DAS Annual Meeting: Artemis and Beyond! Human Missions to the Moons of the Solar System and DAS Election Results (Free public program): In-person at Secular Hub📍: 7:00 PM Third Quarter Snow Moon: 5:43 AM February 10: AAA Design, Construction and Scientific Promise of the Vera Rubin Observatory with Steve Ritz (UCSC) (Free virtual program): Online via Zoom (registration required): 5:00 PM The waning crescent Snow Moon reaches apogee, it’s farthest point from Earth in its orbit at 404,576km, at 11:00 AM February 11: Look for…
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Why I Still Hunt Comets: Skyward for February 2026

A few minutes before midnight on 17 December 1965, I began a program of hunting for comets and exploding stars, or novae. I recall writing at the time that when I began, the interest would primarily be in comets. It still is, even though I independently discovered Nova Cygni 1975 (V1500 Cygni), and a second nova Cygni (V1668 Cygni) in 1978. I also remembered thinking that while discovering a comet is hard, searching for one is easy. I was 17 years old. A few minutes before midnight on 17 December 2025, I completed sixty years of comet hunting. Years ago…
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Chamberlin Observatory Tours

The Denver Astronomical Society hosts weekly and monthly events* at the University of Denver’s historic Chamberlin Observatory, which features its prized 1894 Alvan Clark-Saegmuller 20-inch refracting telescope. The Observatory serves as the DAS home base for numerous Astronomy Nights, Open Houses, and special events throughout the year.

Due to overwhelming demand, we are changing how we reserve our Astronomy Nights and adding more to the calendar. For details, see our Reservations page.

If you have any questions about EXISTING reservations or want to change your existing reservation, email us at reservations@denverastro.org.

M•45 – Pleiades, Seven Sisters, Subaru image by Darrell Dodge

Astrophotography Special Interest Group

The Denver Astronomical Society (DAS) has established a Special Interest Group amongst its members devoted to Astrophotography. Do you want to learn or improve your skills in astrophotography? Do you enjoy viewing pictures of the Sun, Moon, Planets, or Deep Sky Objects? Can you take similar images? You may have skills that you could pass on to novice members. Consider joining DAS and being part of this Special Interest Group. Please email us for more information. astrophotogroup@denverastro.org

The Van Nattan-Hansen-Anderson Scholarship

Established in 1973, the DAS Van Nattan-Hansen-Anderson Scholarship supports graduating high school and undergraduate college students majoring in astronomy and the physical sciences. Interested and eligible students are invited to apply for funding on the Scholarship Page.