Haggart Observatory Public Nights

Lunar Viewing at Haggart Observatory

Through a partnership with Clackamas Community College, RCA maintains the Haggart Observatory located at the John Inskeep Environmental Learning Center on the CCC campus in Oregon City.  To offer the public a unique opportunity to access this rare community resource, RCA operates the observatory on select nights on behalf of CCC.

Haggart Dates for viewing the moon in 2025 have been selected! These were carefully narrowed down so the moon wouldn't be too high to safely climb the ladder but also not so low it would be in the trees.

Each viewing session will have volunteers available during a two-hour window. Please note, if we get a big line, you may be asked to wait at the base of the stairs by one of our volunteers; we can only accommodate around 20 guests on the observatory deck, including up to five in the dome.

All guests will be asked to sign a liability waiver when they arrive. Please be prepared to climb stairs to the observatory deck and possibly a ladder to see through the large telescope.

The dates and times are:

• Fri, May 30 - Crescent moon - 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM - Daytime through medium twilight

• Sat, May 31 - Crescent moon - 8:30 PM to 10:30 PM - Daytime through medium twilight

• Sat, Jun 28 - Crescent moon - 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM - Daytime through bright twilight

• Sun, Jun 29 - Crescent moon - 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM - Daytime through medium twilight

• Sat, Jul 5 - Gibbous moon - 9:00 PM to 11:00 PM - Bright twilight through dark twilight

• Sat, Aug 30 - First quarter moon - 8:30 PM to midnight - STAR PARTY on the athletic field

• Sat, Sep 6 - Full moon - 9:30 PM to 11:30 PM - Night

Unfortunately, we are out of the "golden era of summer gas giants," and planets will not be viewable at Haggart events for the foreseeable future. However, some of our volunteers may be able to aim our smaller, more portable telescopes at some of the brighter deep-sky objects or double stars that are high in the sky on nighttime events.

The summer star party is confirmed for Saturday, August 30th starting at 8:30 PM. The moon will be at first-quarter phase, but it will be very low in the sky and shouldn’t interfere too much with observing fainter objects. The start time is near the beginning of Nautical Twilight, where the brightest stars will be coming out and helping our volunteers navigate to the best double stars to start the night off with. As it gets darker, we will transition to bright star clusters, and then nebulae and perhaps the Andromeda Galaxy.

Visitors are encouraged to arrive early and enjoy the sunset as we set up our telescopes. No white lights, please; the ambient light will be enough to see by and find your way to the telescopes. Our volunteers will have red flashlights to guide you to the eyepiece. CCC has graciously turned off the streetlights surrounding the athletic field each year to help facilitate telescope observations.

Light pollution in the Portland-metro area has been steadily getting worse..

Without traveling to darker skies, even large telescopes have a hard time seeing the fainter nebulae and star clusters beyond our solar system. Happily, many of the objects in our celestial backyard are bright enough to shine right through the worst city lights.

Because of this, at Haggart Observatory we're focusing on Earth's closest neighbor, the moon. While you can look up any day or night and have a 50% chance of seeing it (weather permitting), many people have never seen it in detail through a telescope.

Haggart Observatory houses an enormous telescope with a 24" mirror

…built nearly 40 years ago by a local prolific telescope-maker, Steve Swayze. Come visit the observatory this summer and see the craters filling the moon's Southern Highlands, cast in stark relief at their own local sunrise just as we're dipping into our own sunset.

Visitors coming to the April and May dates may have a chance to glimpse Venus as it sets shortly after the sun, and on the last observing day of the year you may be able to see Saturn as it clears the trees to the east towards the end of the night.

Bring your enthusiasm for the night sky and any questions you may have for our volunteers!

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Volunteering

RCA members who are interested in volunteering at the observatory during these events are encouraged to contact haggart@rosecityastronomers.org for operator training.  Volunteers are also eligible to use the observatory on a limited basis for club observing time. Please note, due to liability insurance, all Haggart volunteers must be RCA members and must have signed the RCA volunteer code of conduct.

Group Viewing

Opportunities for group viewing at the observatory are limited, but we will do our best to accommodate requests. Please contact the observatory coordinator, Mike Reitmajer, at haggart@rosecityastronomers.org for more information. We cannot accommodate groups larger than 20 individuals.

Did you come to this page with questions about space?

Mike is an engineer by trade and not a professional astronomer, but if you have a pressing question about the night sky or space, he’ll see what he can do to answer you.

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Click for Sky Conditions over Next 72 Hours

On most nights, RCA volunteers will also set up the observatory's smaller telescopes on the outdoor deck to look through in between visits to the largest telescope.

 

Please NOTE: call 503-594-6044 Option 1 after 3:00 p.m. on the day of the event for a recorded announcement about the status of the night's event. Scheduled Public Nights might be cancelled on account of:

• Poor sky conditions - generally any forecast for skies that are not at least "mostly clear." However, we are trying to have more non-telescope activities so we can still open on cloudy nights.

• A lack of volunteers to open and coordinate the event.

• Other circumstances affecting the safety of RCA volunteers and visiting guests.

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If you plan on attending one of these Public Nights, please pay attention to the following:

• Depending on the number of people showing up at any one time, you may have to wait your turn to view through the main telescope - and your viewing time may be limited in order to give others waiting a similar opportunity.

• You will have to be physically able to climb stairs to reach the observing deck and a ladder to actually view through the telescope. Wear shoes without heels.

• Please DO NOT bring flashlights of any kind. There is adequate local light to see the path to the observatory and climb the stairs.

• Limited parking is located directly across from the observatory and in nearby lots.

• Click on the Haggart Clear Sky Chart above to look at the prediction we generally rely on when making our decision whether or not to cancel an event based on sky conditions.

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Driving Directions

From 1-205 (either direction) :

• Take Exit 10 ("Park Place") onto Highway 213 headed east (towards Molalla)

• Continue on Hwy 213 for about 3 miles up the canyon to the intersection with Beavercreek Road

• Turn left onto Beavercreek Road (heading east)

• At the second stop light, turn right - onto Clackamas Community College Campus.

• Turn right at the stop sign onto South Douglas Loop Road

• Turn right at the first road (Inskeep Drive)

• Park in one of the lots on your left and walk across the street into the Environmental Learning Center and follow the signs to the Observatory

Printable Directions

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Other information about Haggart Observatory:

• Telescopes at the Observatory

• History of the Haggart Observatory

• Clackamas Community College webpage

Groups and organizations interested in scheduling a private event at the Observatory should contact the RCA Haggart Observatory Coordinator

RCA Members should check out the Haggart Observatory section of the RCA Forum about how and when members can schedule personal use of the Observatory.

If you have any further question, contact the RCA Haggart Observatory Coordinator via email: haggart@rosecityastronomers.org