The Chester County Astronomical Society was formed as a non-profit organization dedicated to the education and enjoyment of astronomy for the general public. The Society holds meetings (with member or guest speakers) and observing sessions once a month. Anyone who is interested in astronomy is welcome to attend meetings and become a member of the Society. In addition to the monthly meetings and observing sessions, the Society also provides a variety of services to the public, including astronomy classes as well as telescopes and expertise for "star parties" for school, scout, and other civic groups.

• Friday, October 2, 2026 - West Chester University Planetarium Show: “To The Moon & Mars,” in the Schmucker Science Building. The show starts at 7 p.m. and runs approximately one hour in length. For more information and reservations, visit the WCU Public Planetarium Shows webpage.
• Saturday, October 3, 2026 - Downingtown Library Solar Wednesday, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. EDT. For more information, contact our Observing Chair, Don Miller.
• Saturday, October 3, 2026 - CCAS Special Observing Session: West Goshen Township Park, 1023 Fern Hill Road, West Chester, PA, 6:30 p.m. EDT to 10 p.m. EDT. For more information, contact our Observing Chair, Don Miller.
• Thursday, October 8, 2026 - Middletown Free Library Fund Raiser, 6:00 p.m. EDT to 9:00 p.m. EDT. For more information, contact our Observing Chair, Don Miller.
• Friday, October 9, 2026 - CCAS Monthly Observing Session, Myrick Conservancy Center, BRC. The observing session starts at sunset (Rain date: September 5, 2026). For more information, contact our Observing Chair, Don Miller.
• Saturday, October 10, 2026 - Downingtown Library Solar Saturday, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. EDT. For more information, contact our Observing Chair, Don Miller.
• Tuesday, October 13, 2026 - CCAS Monthly Meeting, in person (as well as via Zoom) at West Chester University’s Merion Science Center, Room 112. Our guest speaker is Guest Speaker: Dr. Jeffrey Johnson, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, and Mars 2020 Mission Team, “Revealing Mars from Rover Exploration: Perseverance and Curiosity.”
• Friday, October 16, 2026 - CCAS Special Observing Session: CCAS Special Observing Session with WCU Mather Planetarium, 8:00 p.m. EDT to 10:00 p.m. EDT. For more information, contact our Observing Chair, Don Miller.
• Tuesday, October 20, 2026 - Middletown Free Library Fund Raiser, 6:00 p.m. EDT to 9:00 p.m. EDT. For more information, contact our Observing Chair, Don Miller.
• Wednesday, October 21, 2026 - Downingtown Library Solar Wednesday, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. EDT. For more information, contact our Observing Chair, Don Miller.
• Friday, October 23rd, 2026 - CCAS Special Observing Session: International Observe the Moon Night, West Chester Courthouse steps, 6 p.m. EDT to 10 p.m. EDT. For more information, contact our Observing Chair, Don Miller.
• Saturday, October 24th, 2026 - CCAS Special Observing Session: Wolf's Hollow County Park, Atglen, PA, 6:30 p.m. EDT to 10 p.m. EDT. For more information, contact our Observing Chair, Don Miller.
• Saturday, October 28, 2026 - Downingtown Library Solar Wednesday, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. EDT. For more information, contact our Observing Chair, Don Miller.
• Friday, October 30, 2026 - West Chester University Planetarium Show: “Spectacular Saturn,” in the Schmucker Science Building. The show starts at 7 p.m. and runs approximately one hour in length. For more information and reservations, visit the WCU Public Planetarium Shows webpage.

Saturn takes center stage, a meteor shower lights up the sky, and the Moon visits the Seven Sisters. On October 4, Saturn reaches opposition, giving skywatchers one of the year's best opportunities to see the ringed planet. In addition, learn about a 10-sided atmospheric wave encircling Saturn's south pole that was recently revealed by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. The Orionid meteor shower peaks October 21-22. Debris from Halley's Comet produces the meteors, but this year, a bright Moon will obscure some of the fainter streaks. The best viewing chances will likely be the hours before dawn, after the Moon sets. Then, on October 27-28, look east in the evening for the Moon passing close to the Pleiades, also known as the Seven Sisters. The star cluster is visible to the unaided eye and even more spectacular through binoculars. Additional information about topics covered in this episode of What's Up, along with still images from the video, and the video transcript, are available at https://science.nasa.gov/skywatching/whats-up/

For star parties and astronomy events near you, visit http://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/. Learn about all of NASA's missions at http://www.nasa.gov/.

NASA’s new Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has received its first starlight — and the first test image looks surprisingly strange. Instead of sharp stars, the Roman Space Telescope sees enormous blurry rings. But NASA says this is exactly what engineers expected. In this video, we explain the Roman Space Telescope's first image, why the telescope is still out of focus, and what makes NASA’s newest space telescope so different from Hubble and the James Webb Space Telescope. Roman’s 300-megapixel Wide Field Instrument will provide a field of view at least 100 times larger than Hubble’s, allowing astronomers to survey huge regions of space for galaxies, dark matter, dark energy, supernovae, and exoplanets. But Roman is also carrying another remarkable instrument: the Roman Coronagraph, designed to suppress the overwhelming light of distant stars so that much fainter planets around them can potentially be detected. And NASA recently revealed another surprise — Roman may have enough fuel for more than two decades of potential science operations. The first real Roman Space Telescope science images are expected in early 2027. This blurry first image isn’t Roman failing.

Visit our website for up-to-the-minute updates: www.nasaspacenews.com.

The society schedules monthly observing sessions in the Myrick Conservation Center of the Brandywine Red Clay Alliance. The observing sessions, which are planned around the new moon, are open to the public and announced in the Society's newsletter, Observations. Owning a telescope or binoculars is not required; anyone interested in observing the heavens is welcome to show up. If you do have a telescope and need help using it, our observing sessions are a great place to practice and learn from other society members.

The Chester County Astronomical Society's regular monthly meetings include a presentation from an invited speaker or the demonstration of an astronomical project by one of the Society's members. After the presentation, a brief business session is held to review the status of society activities. Meetings typically last 1-1/2 to 2 hours including an informal conversation over refreshments before the start of each meeting.

The Society meets at 7:30 PM the second Tuesday of each month in the Merion Science Center (former Boucher Building) at West Chester University (corner of South Church Street and Rosedale Avenue, West Chester, Pennsylvania). Click for Directions and Maps.

CCAS has partnered with Chester County Lifelong Learning to offer a six-week program meeting in the spring of 2026. For more information, including dates of the classes, contact our Education Co-Chairs. Learn more about the location, the topics covered, and how to register on the classes page.

The Chester County Astronomical Society offers "nights out" to interested organizations including local schools, scouting groups, and other civic groups for the purpose of learning more about the heavens. For example, scouting groups often hold them to earn badges for their members. If your organization is interested in hosting a "night out", please contact us.

• Friday, September 4, 2026 - CCAS Monthly Observing Session, Myrick Conservancy Center, BRC. The observing session starts at sunset (Rain date: August 15, 2026). For more information, contact our Observing Chair, Don Miller.
• Wednesday, September 9, 2026 - Downingtown Library Solar Wednesday, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. EDT. For more information, contact our Observing Chair, Don Miller.
• Saturday, September 12, 2026 - Downingtown Library Solar Saturday, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. EDT. For more information, contact our Observing Chair, Don Miller.
• Tuesday, September 15, 2026 - Middletown Free Library Solar Tuesday, 2:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m. EDT. For more information, contact our Observing Chair, Don Miller.
• Thursday, September 17, 2026 - Kennett Library Solar Observing Session, Kennett, PA, 2:00-4:00 p.m. EDT. For more information, contact our Observing Chair, Don Miller.
• Friday, September 18, 2026 - CCAS Special Observing Session: International Observe the Moon with the WCU Mather Planetarium, 8 p.m. EDT to 10 p.m. EDT. For more information, contact our Observing Chair, Don Miller.
• Saturday, September 19, 2026 - Downingtown Library Solar Saturday, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. EDT. For more information, contact our Observing Chair, Don Miller.
• Saturday, September 19, 2026 - CCAS Special Observing Session: International Observe the Moon Night, West Chester Courthouse steps, 6 p.m. EDT to 10 p.m. EDT. For more information, contact our Observing Chair, Don Miller.
• Tuesday, September 22, 2026 - Middletown Free Library Solar Tuesday, 2:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m. EDT. For more information, contact our Observing Chair, Don Miller.
• Wednesday, September 23, 2026 - Downingtown Library Solar Wednesday, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. EDT. For more information, contact our Observing Chair, Don Miller.

Star parties are national and regional events similar to "nights out" and open to the public. They are held throughout the year. For a list of upcoming national events in 2026, visit the star parties page.

The West Chester University Department of Geology & Astronomy hosts a planetarium show open to the general public on the 2nd Friday of each month. The WCU Planetarium is located in the Schmucker Science Center on Church St. To locate the planetarium, view the campus map.


The shows start promptly at 7:00 P.M. ET and run approximately one hour in length. Late arrivals will not be permitted to enter the planetarium. Each show includes an overview of what is visible in the current night sky and a special focus on some aspect of astronomy.

Reservations are required because the planetarium has limited seating. For contact information, visit the WCU Public Planetarium Shows webpage.