Hemlock Crossing Public Observatory
The observatory is open to the public on Friday evenings throughout the year whenever viewing conditions allow. Dress appropriately as the temperature inside the observatory will match the outside ambient temperature. Night sky tour includes: visible planets, the Moon, galaxies, star clusters and planetary nebulae. When viewing conditions call for overcast skies, chance of rain or snow, the viewing session will be canceled.
Club Meetings
Club meetings are open to the public. They occur at 7pm on the second Thursday of the month throughout the school year (September – May). Meetings are held in the planetarium at Macatawa Bay School 3700 140th Avenue, Holland, Michigan. There are no club meetings in the summer months (June – July – August).
Click here for directions to Macatawa Bay School.
Lectures at Hemlock Crossing
SAAA presents informational and educational lectures at Hemlock Crossing inside the Nature Education Center on the second Saturday of the month. Programs are followed by public observatory sessions accompanied by member’s telescopes. The goal is to have fun while learning.
2024 Lecture Schedule
| Date | Time | Title | Presenter |
| Jan 13 | 7 pm | Lecture: Artemis, Return to the Moon | Mike Cortright |
| Feb 10 | 7 pm | Lecture: NASA OSIRIS Rex Asteroid Mission | Mike Long |
| Mar 9 | 7 pm | Lecture: April Full Solar Eclipse | David Debruyn |
| Apr 13 | 8 pm | Lecture: Spring and Summer Sky | Karl Rijkse |
| May 11 | 8 pm | Lecture: Women in Astronomy | Peter Burkey |
| Jun 8 | dusk | Observatory: Public Night | SAAA Members |
| Jul 13 | dusk | Observatory: Public Night | SAAA Members |
| Aug 10 | dusk | Observatory: Public Night | SAAA Members |
| Sep 14 | 8 pm | Lecture: Astronomy in Art | Frank Roldan |
| Oct 12 | 7 pm | Lecture: Finding Things in the Night Sky | Barry Schoenfelner |
| Nov 9 | 7 pm | Lecture: Telescope Basics | Frank Roldan |
