Griffith Observatory Public Star Party Oct. 17: Free Telescopes, Solar Viewing and Night Sky Over L.A.
Los Angeles is a city in Los Angeles County, California. Griffith Observatory will host its monthly Public Star Party on Saturday, October 17, 2026, inviting the public to look through dozens of telescopes on the observatory lawn — free and open to everyone, no reservations needed.
The party runs from 2:00 p.m. to 9:45 p.m., long enough for a full afternoon and evening under the sky. Visitors can arrive early for solar viewing through specially filtered telescopes, then stay after sunset for the Moon, planets and deep-sky objects. Volunteer astronomers from local astronomy clubs staff the instruments and are happy to explain what each telescope shows and how it works — no prior knowledge of astronomy required.
October skies offer some of the year's best stargazing conditions: crisp early-autumn air, an earlier sunset, and the Moon and bright planets well placed for evening viewing. Children often find the experience magical — seeing the Moon's craters or Saturn's rings for the first time can spark a lasting interest in science.
Practical tips: layers are a good idea, as temperatures drop on the hill after sunset; lines form at popular telescopes, so patience helps. Parking at the observatory is limited — the DASH Observatory bus from the Vermont/Sunset Metro station is the easiest car-free option.
The star parties are held monthly and have become one of Los Angeles' most accessible astronomy experiences, pairing a world-famous landmark with the Los Angeles basin and the night sky as a backdrop.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: Mike 摄，CC BY-SA 4.0（Wikimedia Commons）
