Meetings & Events
Club Meetings
Please note that there will be no club meeting in the month of October.
West Valley Volunteer Fire Department
2412 Farm-To-Market Road
Kalispell, MT 59901
Location: Our meetings are held at the West Valley Volunteer Fire Department located at 2412 Farm-To-Market Road, 6 miles northwest of Kalispell. The facilities offer a very nice meeting room and relatively dark skies. Our meetings are scheduled during the dark of the moon each month. This provides us an opportunity to set up our scopes in the large parking area at the fire hall and, as a group, do some observing following the meeting (weather permitting, of course).
Star Parties
Upcoming:
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No Public Star Parties Scheduled
We typically sponsor several public star parties each year. Undeniably, these events are the highlight of our summer observing season.
Lone Pine State Park: In conjunction with the Montana Department of Fish Wildlife and Parks, we host an annual public star party at Lone Pine State Park in Kalispell. In response to the many wonderful comments he received about our event, former Governor Schweitzer sent our club members a personal thank-you for our participation. Check back next spring for an update on the 2026 season events.
Glacier National Park: The Big Sky Astronomy Club has partnered with Glacier National Park to promote and support their ongoing daily Summer Astronomy Program for the park's visitors. Club members assist the Park's Visiting Astronomers by providing additional telescopes and personnel for both daytime and nighttime viewing. The daily programs are held at the Apgar and St. Mary Visitors' Centers. The events for 2025 are completed. Please check back here next spring or at the park's website for dates and times for the 2026 season.
Special Events
The Big Sky Astronomy Club will be supporting the Flathead Lake State Park Fall Fest located at Wayfarers State Park in Bigfork.
The event runs from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. The club will have specially equipped telescopes set up for the public to safely view sunspots and prominences on the Sun. We will also have a station set up for kids to come and construct craft paper "Stomp Rockets" and then take them to the launch area and watch them fly.