Thomas More University Observatory

08/30/2026

🙌🙌🙌

Our newest space telescope is on its way to revealing the universe's darkest secrets!

How much do you know about our Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope? We've got the key facts: https://go.nasa.gov/4clYwet

08/27/2026

Lunar Eclipse tonight!

Although tonight's eclipse will be a partial lunar eclipse, over 96% of the moon will fall in the umbra (the region fully within Earth's shadow). Eclipse begins around 10:30p Eastern. Near midnight, the moon will appear a reddish color as sunlight will still filter through Earth's atmosphere before striking the moon. This "filtering" process is the same physics behind why sunsets appear red! As the sun's light travels through Earth's atmosphere, blue light is scattered more than red light, leaving the reddish colored light to pass all the way through to the moon.

Here's what to expect:

On August 28, 2026 (the evening of the 27th in some time zones), the Moon passes into the shadow of Earth, creating a deep partial lunar eclipse. At the moment of greatest eclipse, 4:13 a.m. Univeral Time, 96.3% of the Moon's disk will be within Earth's umbra. The Americas are centrally located for....

08/18/2026

We are excited to announce the dates and times for the Fall half of the Astronomy Public Lecture Series. We'll kick off the Fall series with a lecture on September 19th at 7:30pm covering the Mind-Bending (and Space-Bending) Theory of Relativity!

Fall lectures will be held in Ziegler Auditorium. Hope to see you there!

08/16/2026

Welcome to TMU!

08/05/2026

This year's public lecture series kicks off on September 19th in Ziegler Auditorium. Lecture begins at 7:30pm and will be followed by observations (weather permitting). Hope to see you there!

Thomas More University's on-campus observatory in Crestview Hills offers a public astronomy lecture series led by physics professor Austin Hinkel, with a new…

08/03/2026

Hey, that's us!

By Isabella Schultz NKyTribune reporter Tucked away in the back part of Thomas More University’s campus stands one of its most valuable assets. The Thomas More University Observatory is described as a…

07/06/2026

Check it out!

06/09/2026

Tonight!

Get outside tonight (June 9) at sunset!

Venus and Jupiter meet up in the twilight skies after sunset on the western horizon, separated by only about 1.5°. Look for the twin stars of Gemini, Castor & Pollux, just to the right of the pair.

Don't forget to snap a pic and submit it to our 2027 calendar contest! https://bit.ly/4dd8UVy

04/27/2026

Hey everyone, thank you for a great spring season of lectures! The April 25th talk concludes the lecture series for the '25-'26 Academic Year.

If you are interested in a possible summer event, though, we'd appreciate some feedback in this short (2 minute!) survey: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/AL18Snykxt

As always, the TMU Observatory can host other outreach/observing events for local organizations (especially schools!) -- please just drop us a line.

Have a great summer!

04/16/2026

Hope to see you on April 25th! We'll have opportunities to get involved in citizen science projects for Citizen Science Month!

Join the Thomas More Observatory for their upcoming public lecture!

Astronomy often helps us grasp the unimaginable scale of the universe: billions of years of cosmic history and worlds beyond our own. This Earth Week lecture brings that same perspective to Earth itself, exploring the Anthropocene —the idea that human activity has become a planetary force capable of reshaping climate, ecosystems, and even the geological record.