Mike Lynch's Minnesota Starwatch

Make the stars your old friends as we watch the great celestial show in the skies over Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center! Get
to know constellations like the Big Bear, Cygnus the Swan, Pegasus the Winged Horse, and many more. You’ll hear fun stories about how some of these constellations found their way to the heavens. We’ll have giant telescopes aimed at Saturn, star clusters, galaxies, and more. New video telescopes will display live images of distant celestial treasures in amazing color! You’ll also get a great handout package of star maps, constellation charts, as well as great websites and app recommendations, and a practical telescope buying guide.

If the skies are too cloudy or it’s raining, we’ll have a mostly indoor program with a great presentation featuring Mike's astrophotography. Learn a lot about stargazing and exciting new telescopes available, and have a great time doing it! You'll be ready for stargazing once the skies clear with sky maps and constellation charts. He'll still share some of the wild (but family-friendly) stories about how some of the constellations wound up in the heavens. Unless it’s raining, telescopes will be set up outside for “land gazing”.

Mike Lynch is a retired WCCO Radio meteorologist and has been hosting star watch parties and teaching astronomy classes for more than 50 years! He also writes a weekly stargazing column for the St. Paul Pioneer Press and is the author of the book “Stars, a Month by Month Tour of the Constellations.” 

Star Watch will be held at Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center. Please park in the gravel lot below the main building and walk up the hill for the program; those with limited mobility are welcome to park in one of the few spots next to the main building.

No cancellations/refunds after October 1.