Event Details

For one weekend a month from June through September, MLC will open its observatories to the public at sunset. Each evening will start with a presentation from an astronomy expert, after which you’ll have the opportunity to use your newfound knowledge to better appreciate the night skies as we gaze through MLC’s state-of-the art telescopes.

Each evening’s presentation will be different.

Members of MLC’s staff and volunteers from the Helena Astronomical Society will be on hand to operate the telescopes and answer questions in the observatories.

The 2025 public observing nights and speakers are:

James Manning – June 27th & 28th

James Manning is the retired Executive Director of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, one of the nation’s leading organizations devoted to improving people’s understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of astronomy and space. Prior to joining the Society, Mr. Manning served as Head of the Office of Public Outreach of the Space Telescope Science Institute (the science operations center for the Hubble Space Telescope) and as Director of the Museum of the Rockies’ Taylor Planetarium in Bozeman, Montana. Mr. Manning has been a member of many planetarium and education organizations, and served as President of the International Planetarium Society.

Peter Detterline – July 25th & 26th

Peter Detterline is a professional astronomer and Observatory Director for the Mars Society. As the Society’s Observatory Director, Mr. Detterline operates two telescopes, a solar observatory and a robotic observatory. Mr. Detterline also teaches college students, and teaches the Learning Center’s online robotic telescope training courses for teachers, offered in partnership with Montana State University. Before joining the Mars Society, Mr. Detterline was the Director of the Boyertown Planetarium for 35 years, and recently received the Thomas Brennan Award from the Astronomical Society of the Pacific for exceptional achievement in teaching high school astronomy. 

Dr. Kelly Cline – August 22nd & 23rd

Dr. Kelly Cline is a Professor of Mathematics in the Department of Mathematics, Engineering, and Computer Science at Carroll College in Helena, Montana, teaching undergraduate astronomy, physics and mathematics. He also is well known for his packed public lectures exploring, examining and explaining astronomy, physics and mathematics. Dr. Cline has a Ph.D. in Astrophysics from the University of Colorado at Boulder and has been a visiting lecturer at several universities in Scotland and Ireland.

Mike Murray – September 19th & 20th

Mike Murray is the Manager and Resident Astronomer of the Delta College Planetarium in Bay City, Michigan. Mr. Murray also hosts the Backyard Astronomer program on NPR, where he talks about what’s visible in the night sky, especially those objects visible without a telescope. Before taking on his current roles, Mr. Murray worked at several different planetariums in the U.S., including the Taylor Planetarium at the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, Montana. Mr. Murray also served as an Assistant Director of the NASA-funded Montana Space Grant Consortium at Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana, where he served as lead developer and manager of the Education and Public Outreach Programs.

What to Bring

Consider bringing the following personal items to the event:

• Red flashlight or headlamp (red flashlights will be available for purchase at each event)
• Comfortable camp chair for speaker presentations, which will be held outdoors on MLC’s grounds
• Warm blanket, hat and/or gloves (most nights will be cool, even in the height of summer)
• Insect repellent (in our lakeside location, mosquitoes are common)

What Not to Bring

The following should NOT be brought to the event:

• Food or drink of any kind, including alcohol
  • Drinks and snacks will be available for purchase at each event.
• Smoking materials or illegal drugs of any kind
• Animals of any kind, other than trained service animals
  • Prior written approval of attendance by trained service animals is required. Ticket buyers will have an opportunity to request approval of attendance by a trained service animal during the ticket purchasing process.
• Children under the age of 10

Event Guidelines

Keep the following guidelines in mind while attending the event:

• Avoid using white lights (including camera flashes and phone flashlights) and use red lights sparingly while on MLC’s grounds. If, for some reason, you must use a white light while outdoors, give fair warning to those around you. Use of white lights of any kind inside the observatories is strictly prohibited.
• Avoid loud and boisterous behavior. Astronomy is a quiet, peaceful activity.
• Keep MLC’s campus beautiful and clean. Deposit all trash in the labeled trashcans and all recyclables in the labeled recycling bins, both of which can be found in multiple locations on MLC’s grounds.
• Drive slowly on MLC’s dirt roads to avoid kicking dust up into the atmosphere.
• Children must be under adult supervision and well behaved at all times.
• Above all, be kind and considerate of others. We’re all here because of stardust.