The South Plains Astronomy Club is people of all ages who enjoy exploring the beautiful skies of West Texas. Founded in 1959, the club sponsors more than 20 free public star parties per year in and around Lubbock. Some of us are beginners with small inexpensive telescopes. Some of us are lifelong hobbyists with larger scopes. A few operate professional-grade remote-controlled observatories located under pristine dark skies out in ranch country. What unites us all is a passion for the glorious sights in the heavens above us, a fascination with the science of astronomy, and a desire to share this with others. Please stop in at one of our public events and let us show you the stars!
Schedule
The club’s star party schedule follows the phase of the moon so that our Ransom Canyon parties have skies that promote viewing deep sky objects. In the winter, spring, and fall, we will be at First Friday Art Trail (FFAT) at the Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts. During the late spring through early fall, FFAT hours are in daylight, so we normally don’t attend there. During mid-summer, we may try to catch the Sun in our telescopes on the west side of the LHUCA building.
We also hold special event star parties for unique events such as eclipses, transits, oppositions of planets, and more. We also assist Texas Tech Astronomy’s Astronight by providing scopes for their star party. Look at our Facebook page or this website for announcements.
Notes:
Star parties start approximately 30 minutes after sunset and are weather dependent. High winds, clouds, rain/snow, and haze interfere with viewing and can cause cancellation. If you can’t see the stars, we can’t find them in our telescopes. We’ll update our news feed or Facebook page with weather cancellations. We try to make the call at least a few hours before the start.
We are family friendly and are thrilled to share our love of the sky with everyone. We ask that you abide by a few simple rules for the enjoyment and safety of everyone.
Check our events calendar for upcoming star parties.
First Friday Art Trail
We schedule FFAT star parties for nighttime viewing from roughly November through March or April while the event is held at nightfall for at least part of the event hours. Nighttime viewing is normally held on the LHUCA patio near the bandstand. We occasionally hold solar viewing in mid-summer and then we are located near the bus stop on the west side of the LHUCA building (Mac Davis & Ave L).
Ransom Canyon Map
Google Maps link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/NR1N3yNrAfnc5gM49
Across the street from #36 W. Lakeshore Drive near Cardinal Drive.
Tech Terrace Map
Due to excessive light pollution and low attendance, we have no scheduled star parties for Lubbock or Tech Terrace. If you have a group wishing to hold a star party within the city limits, please contact us.
