Updated: Monday, July 17, 2023

The weather patterns we have seen in 2023 have been unprecedented in the history of the Frosty Drew Observatory’s operations. Over 60% of our events have been canceled this year due to the weather, and the events that we opened for did not have optimal viewing conditions, and we made do with what we had. This leaves us with 100% of our planned events being either closed or suboptimal for sky watching in 2023. As a result we have decided to change our operating procedures to accommodate visitors, regardless of inclement weather conditions.

Starting on Friday, July 21, 2023, the Frosty Drew Observatory and Science Center will open on our regularly published schedule, unless onsite conditions are notably hazardous. The Sky Theatre will host our scheduled speakers for summer 2023, and will show our new features for 2023 on nights that speakers are not scheduled. The Science Center will be open with our 2023 exhibits, and astronomers will be present to offer commentary and host discussions about the exhibits. Tours of the Observatory will be available with the lights on, giving visitors a chance to see how our telescopes work. Display screens in the Science Center and Observatory will be active with informational pieces on astronomy.

Of course, we will open our telescopes to the night sky on nights that are clear enough to observe, and events will run as originally planned. This change is designed to offer access and educational opportunities on nights that we would have normally stayed closed. Thank you for your understanding and support.

-Frosty Drew Astronomy Team