Join The Prairie Astronomy Club!

Interested in becoming a member? Contact us below or come to our next meeting and say hi!

Amateur Astronomy: The Universe at your Fingertips

Would you like to take a trip to some of the most exotic and beautiful places in deep space without leaving the safety of Earth? Just imagine, exploring the surface of the moon, watching the weather on Jupiter, peeking into a stellar nursery, or gazing into the heart of a giant spiral galaxy. Amateur Astronomy delivers just that and much more!

Upcoming Meetings

Unless otherwise noted, PAC meetings are held at Hyde Memorial Observatory in Holmes Park South on the last Tuesday of each month at 7:30pm. Meetings are open to the public.

Tuesday September 24th at 7:30pm.

Hyde Observatory, Holmes Park South Entrance
Meetings are open to the public.

September Meeting

The September Program will be “Cosmic Messengers: Exploring the Universe Through Ultra-High Energy Neutrinos” by  Ilya Kravchenko, Professor and Vice Chair, Dept of Physics and Astronomy at UNL.

In the evolving field of modern astronomy, scientists are expanding their view of the cosmos beyond traditional telescopes that detect visible light or electromagnetic waves of other frequencies. Today, we are using a variety of methods to observe astrophysical phenomena, including the detection of cosmic rays, neutrinos, and gravitational waves. This talk will focus on the realm of neutrino astronomy, where we seek to uncover the secrets of the universe by detecting ultra-high energy neutrinos emitted from the most powerful cosmic accelerators, such as Active Galactic Nuclei. We will explore the groundbreaking experiments that operate massive detectors in natural environments like polar ice, equipped with optical and radio sensors. Notable examples include the IceCube experiment at the South Pole and emerging radio-based experiments in Antarctica and Greenland. We will discuss the principles behind of ultra-high energy neutrino detection, and highlight some of the most exciting recent results in this cutting-edge field.

Location and program to be announced soon.
Meetings are open to the public.

October Meeting

The business meeting will include the election of club officers. The location and  program will be announced soon.