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The George Observatory
Admission into the park ends at 9 p.m., but viewing continues until 10 p.m. for those already admitted.
About the George
The George Observatory, located about one hour’s drive south of Houston in the attractive Brazos Bend State Park, is a satellite facility of the Houston Museum of Natural Science. The Observatory houses a for Space Science Education, which takes participants on simulated space missions, complete with a mission control center and a spacecraft simulator. A meteorite exhibit features fragments of several famous meteorites, including a piece of the Allende, Chihuahua, Mexico carbonaceous chondrite meteorite, which fell to the Earth on Feb. 8, 1969. This is the most primitive type of meteorite known contains interstellar grains (stardust) and is believed to have formed during an explosion of a supernova/red giant star before the birth of the solar system, making it one of the oldest substances known to man.
11 inch refractor on right side mounted
on 36" Gueymard telescope | There are also three domed telescopes at the George Observatory: the largest is the 36-inch Gueymard Research Telescope, one of the largest telescopes in the nation open to the public on a regular basis. The George Observatory has a new 11 inch F 15 refracting telescope donated by Preston and Donna Engebretson of Houston, Texas. The 11 inch is mounted on the Gueymard 36" (.9 meter) RC Tinsley Reflector.
Used for inquiry and education, the telescopes at the Observatory allow both amateur and professional astronomers to conduct research, while visitors can gain firsthand knowledge of the beautiful and awe-inspiring sights of the night sky. Depending on the time of the month and the season of the year, visitors are able to observe a variety of phenomena, such as Saturn’s rings, cloud belts on Jupiter, a partial or total eclipse of the Moon, a bright meteor or fireball that lights up the ground, the Milky Way, or a close pairing of two planets.
The George Observatory is open for public viewing on Saturday evenings, and is available by reservation on Friday nights for groups of 30 or more. During weekdays, school groups can attend astronomy classes by reservation. These classes feature a special tour of the research telescope and a view through a solar telescope, allowing visitors to see sunspots, flares, and the ever-changing gas prominences of the Sun.
Observing for High School, College and/or Adult Education Astronomy/Physics Classes
These observational classes are held on one Thursday evening per month, November-March, from 6:30 - 8:30 pm.
Teachers/professors: Bring your class to the George Observatory in Brazos Bend State Park for a hands-on observing session through the 36 inch telescope and new 11 inch refractor here at the observatory.
Cost: $150 for up to 30 students and teacher. (plus park entrance fee of $1.00 per person.)
For further information and reservations call the Observatory staff at 281-242-3055 or 979-553-3400.
Field Trip Downloads
George Observatory Classes for Home School Students
We offer hands-on astronomy classes for home school elementary students. Classes are specially designed for grades K-2 and 3-8.
All classes at the George may be booked individually beginning Monday, August 18 at 9 a.m. No group reservations will be taken for home school classes at the George for the 2008-09 school year. Payment must be made at the time the reservation is made. Please do not forget the $1 per person park entrance fee for each trip. You may book classes by e-mailing your registration forms to Vanessa at vgarcia@hmns.org or Susan at sbuck@hmns.org.
When: First Wednesday or Thursday of each month, September through April, unless otherwise posted. The Evening Star Party in May is included.
Cost: $135 per child + $18 park entrance fees for all 9 classes, if purchased before September 1, 2008. ($20 per child, per class after September 1, 2008)
Grades: K – 8, tailored to grade level.
Capacity: 15-20 students for grades K – 2; 20 students for grades 3 – 8
Topics for grades K – 2 include the Sun, stars, the constellations, the Moon, planets, space and astronauts in addition to an Evening Star Party for the families in May.
Topics for grades 3 – 8 include:
Class 1: Fun with Optics! Explore reflection, refraction, and light with mirrors and lenses and build a small telescope.
Class 2: Newton's Apples: Isaac Newton's three laws of Motion, have fun doing experiments exploring how things move.
Class 3: Our Daytime Star and our Moon, take pictures of the Sun with our special Solar telescope, learn about the moon's motion and phases.
Class 4: Aerospace and Mini Challenger Mission.
Class 5: Our Solar System and its Planets. Weather on planets and more!
Class 6: Travelers through the solar system: Comets, Asteroids, and Meteors.
Class 7: Light and Color Experiments.
Class 8: Physics of Motion - Egg Astronauts (Build a capsule for an Egg Astronaut and drop it from inside the Research dome!)
Class 9: Family Star Party - Families come look through the Observatory telescopes
Included in the registration fees is a special Star Party at the George Observatory in May for all home school students and their families.
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