Drake Municipal Observatory

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Drake Municipal Observatory Friday public nights start at 8:00 PM, Spring and Fall. Summer TBD. See website for current schedule.

Light is Weird! We'll talk about it after dark so as not to offend the Sun. Join us tonight, free and open to all.
10/09/2026

Light is Weird! We'll talk about it after dark so as not to offend the Sun. Join us tonight, free and open to all.

A beautiful night for stargazing, sidewalk art, and a fascinating lecture on astroarchaeology Friday at the Observatory....
10/06/2026

A beautiful night for stargazing, sidewalk art, and a fascinating lecture on astroarchaeology Friday at the Observatory. Another overflow crowd. Apologies to those who couldn't find a seat. We're working on a method to send the Presentation to other parts of the building. Watch this space.

With all the rain, deer are enjoying the absence of those pesky golfers. Sorry guys, looks clear for Friday.
09/30/2026

With all the rain, deer are enjoying the absence of those pesky golfers. Sorry guys, looks clear for Friday.

An Overcast sky Friday, but a good crowd for our second public night of the Fall. See you next time!
09/28/2026

An Overcast sky Friday, but a good crowd for our second public night of the Fall. See you next time!

Join us Friday night to talk about, possibly, the first work of Science Fiction by Johannes Kepler. As always, free and ...
09/25/2026

Join us Friday night to talk about, possibly, the first work of Science Fiction by Johannes Kepler. As always, free and open to all starting at 8:00 PM.

Early Star Party, Paris 1907
09/23/2026

Early Star Party, Paris 1907

A little cloudy with a few glitches for our first Fall public night, but a great overflow crowd. See you next week!
09/21/2026

A little cloudy with a few glitches for our first Fall public night, but a great overflow crowd. See you next week!

FIRST TALK OF FALL SERIES: FINDING YOUR WAY AROUND THE SKYFall program series begins Friday, Sept. 18 at Drake Municipal...
09/15/2026

FIRST TALK OF FALL SERIES: FINDING YOUR WAY AROUND THE SKY
Fall program series begins Friday, Sept. 18 at Drake Municipal Observatory. 8 pm. Lecture followed by night sky viewing through an observatory telescope.
Programs continue every Friday through Nov. 20. Free and open to all.
+ Observatory is located west of Polk boulevard on Observatory road.

Happy Solstice!
06/22/2026

Happy Solstice!

Address

4898 Observatory Road
Des Moines, IA
50311

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