Pride Night at McCormick Observatory

Celebrate Pride under the stars! Visitors can view celestial objects through the historic 26-inch McCormick Refractor and other smaller telescopes (weather permitting), tour the Observatory, and see the exhibits. We will be hosting a guest astronomer (TBA) for a special pride-related science talk!

We are excited to host a guest speaker for this event! More deatils will be announced soon!

Image courtesy of virginia.org

We are happy to be able to host this event during Pride Weekend in Charlottesville! This event is open to everyone, regardless of identity. We hope to create a welcoming space to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. The Department of Astronomy and the University follows the Non-Discrimination and Equal Opportunity policy and Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation policy. Questions about how we are following this policy can be directed to our office by calling 434-924-7494 or by emailing YXN0cm9fYWRtaW4gfCB2aXJnaW5pYSAhIGVkdQ==. Questions about the policies as a whole should be directed to the policies' governing offices.

This event is not affiliated with C'Ville Pride. This event was made possible by the Queer Alumni Network of UVA, the LGBTQ Committee of UVA, and the Department of Astronomy at UVA.

Please note that the Observatory is not ADA accessible. There are steps leading to the entrance of the building, and rooms throughout the building are separated by one or two steps. In addition, the restroom is located at the bottom of a set of stairs. If you have questions about this, please contact us directly.

The dome room is a very large space where sounds can echo at high volumes, or words can be difficult to hear. The dome is moved by motors that can become loud. If someone in your group is hearing impaired or sensitive to loud noises, we suggest they come prepared with assistive devices.

Free onsite parking is available at the Observatory. There are four areas to park, either in gravel or in the grass. Please note, there is a private residence onsite. Please do not park in those spots. At the observatory, they are marked with "No Parking" signs.

From your parking spot, walk around the curve to the front of the Observatory, where you will be greeted by our staff. Your registration will be checked upon entry.

• The dome room of the observatory is NOT climate controlled. Whatever the temperature is outside will most likely be the temperature in the dome room.
• To limit light pollution in the area, there are no street lights along the road leading to the Observatory. Along with the trees, it might be difficult to see while driving.