Astronomy Festival on the National Mall

Saturday, September 20, 2025; 6 - 11 p.m.
4th to 7th Street, SW., on the Mall in front of the Air and Space Museum; Metro: L'Enfant Plaza

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Celebrate the fall equinox with Telescope Views of the Sun, Saturn, Star Clusters, and Colorful Double Stars at the Largest Astronomy Outreach Event in the USA.

Astronomers, astronomy educators, and students volunteer to provide free public science education.

Hofstra University's Astronomy Festival on the National Mall (AFNM) in Washington, D.C., offers visitors a free guided tour of the sky on September 20, 2025; 6 - 11 pm, and is organized by Dr. Donald Lubowich, Hofstra's Coordinator of Astronomy Outreach. The AFNM features solar, optical, and radio telescope observations; hands-on activities, demonstrations, handouts, posters, banners, and videos; speakers from scientific and educational organizations, and a chance to mingle with astronomers. Dr. Lubowich and local amateur astronomers will set up dozens of telescopes on the National Mall. AFNM visitors will meet representatives from 40 of the nation's foremost scientific institutions, organizations, and universities, who will present exciting demonstrations and answer questions about the latest astronomical discoveries and careers in science. Starting at 6 p.m., visitors will be able to view sunspots with the help of specially filtered telescopes. After dusk and until 11 p.m., telescopes will provide close-up views of Saturn, colorful double stars, nebulae, and star clusters that sparkle like diamonds on black velvet.

Participating Organizations: Carnegie Science, Chandra X-ray Observatory, DarkSky International, DC Space Grant Consortium, ePlanetarium, Johns Hopkins University/Applied Physics Laboratory, Maryland Science Center, Maryland STEM Festival, NASA- Astrophysics Division, NASA - Goddard Space Flight Center (Hubble Space Telescope), NASA - James Webb Space Telescope, NASA - Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, National Air and Space Museum, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NSF’s NOIRLab, National Science Foundation, Port Discovery Children's Museum, Scistarter, Unistellar.

Participating Colleges and Universities: American University, Georgetown University, George Washington University, Montgomery College, Rice University, University of Maryland.

Participating Astronomy Clubs: Goddard Astronomy Club, Howard Astronomical League, National Capital Astronomers, Northern Virginia Astronomy Club, Westminster Astronomy Society.

2025 Sponsors:
Supernova level: DC Space Grant Consortium, ePlanetarium/Discovery Dome