Powell Observatory
Home to the 30" Ruisinger Telescope, near Louisburg, Kansas.
2026 Public Program Schedule
Public programs are held Saturday evenings. All dates subject to weather — check our Facebook page for cancellations.
| Date | Start Time | Program |
|---|---|---|
| May 2 | 9:00 PM | Intro to Astronomy |
| May 9 | 9:00 PM | They Only Come Out at Night: A Tour of the Night Sky |
| May 16 | 9:00 PM | Voyager 1: To Boldly Go |
| May 23 | 9:00 PM | Rockets and Space |
| May 30 | 9:00 PM | Our Amazing Moon |
| Jun 6 | 9:00 PM | The Lives of Stars |
| Jun 13 | 9:00 PM | Spectroscopy: A Key to the Stars |
| Jun 20 | 9:00 PM | The Summer Solstice |
| Jun 27 | 9:00 PM | They Only Come Out at Night: A Tour of the Night Sky |
| Jul 4 | Closed — Independence Day | |
| Jul 11 | 9:00 PM | The Search for Extraterrestrial Life |
| Jul 18 | 9:00 PM | The Moon and Venus |
| Jul 25 | 9:00 PM | The Lives of Stars |
| Aug 1 | 9:00 PM | Moons of the Solar System |
| Aug 8 | 9:00 PM | Voyager 1: To Boldly Go |
| Aug 15 | 8:30 PM | They Only Come Out at Night: A Tour of the Night Sky |
| Aug 22 | 8:30 PM | Rockets and Space |
| Aug 29 | 8:30 PM | Spectroscopy: A Key to the Stars |
| Sep 5 | 8:30 PM | The Lives of Stars |
| Sep 12 | 8:30 PM | Black Holes and Stellar Evolution |
| Sep 19 | 8:30 PM | It Came From Outer Space |
| Sep 26 | 8:30 PM | They Only Come Out at Night: A Tour of the Night Sky |
| Oct 3 | 7:30 PM | Rockets and Space |
| Oct 10 | 7:30 PM | Saturn |
| Oct 17 | 7:30 PM | The Lives of Stars |
| Oct 24 | 7:30 PM | JWST (James Webb Space Telescope) |
| Oct 31 | Closed — Halloween | |
Public Night Activities
Typical public night activities include (subject to weather and staff availability):
- Solar observing
- Member telescopes
- Louisburg Community Telescope
- Presentation on a featured topic
- Live imaging with the 30" Ruisinger Telescope
- Eyepiece viewing with the 30" Ruisinger Telescope and other instruments (subject to weather and availability)
Most activities will be outside, with images from the Ruisinger telescope shown remotely on a large screen. Dress for the outdoors and bring your own lawn chair and/or blanket. The field has been treated for mosquitoes but there may still be a few around, so bring your own repellent if desired.
Programs will proceed clear or cloudy. Rain will result in cancellation — check our Facebook page for the latest updates.
Note that mid-summer programs will run fairly late into the evening due to late sunset times. For those with younger children, please plan accordingly — you may want to consider visiting early or late in the season when darkness begins earlier. Program start time for our last program in October is 7:00 PM.
Donations Appreciated
We do not require an admission fee, but as a 501(c)(3) non-profit, we do request a donation to help maintain and operate the observatory.
| Age | Suggested Donation |
|---|---|
| 13 & Over | $10 |
| 6–12 | $5 |
| 5 and Under | Free |
We accept cash, check, major credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Cash App.
Private Events
The observatory is available for private groups and events year-around, subject to availability of volunteer staff.
Email [email protected] or call 913.438.3825. A reservation fee of $100 + $5 per person is required.
About the Observatory
Built in 1985 by society members, the observatory is located about 25 miles south of Kansas City in Lewis-Young Park, just north of Louisburg, KS. At this location, skies are much darker than in the city. The observatory has one of the largest telescopes open to the public in a five-state area — the Ruisinger Telescope, a Newtonian reflector with a 30" diameter mirror. The telescope is installed in a 20-foot dome, with an equatorial fork mount and computerized control systems.
Other instruments:
- Imaging Center with an 11" Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope and iOptron mount, housed in a smaller adjacent dome
- Louisburg Community Telescope featuring 16" and 12" Newtonian telescopes on Dobsonian mounts, housed in a separate roll-off roof building
- Lunt solar telescope with tunable hydrogen-alpha filter and iOptron mount
Powell Observatory is owned and operated by the Astronomical Society of Kansas City and staffed by volunteer ASKC members.
Directions to Powell Observatory
Take US 69 Highway to the Louisburg exit. Go east on Highway 68 (West Amity) ¾ mile to Broadway. Turn left and proceed 1 mile north to 271st Street. Turn left and proceed ¾ mile west to Jingo Road. Turn right and proceed 7/10 mile north to the entrance to Lewis Young Park. Proceed 3/10 mile west on Melrose past the tractor pull area on your left and around the curve. The observatory is on the left just past the line of trees. Parking is on the north side of the street.
Address:
26500 Melrose Street
Louisburg, KS 66053
Etiquette
- No white lights (headlights, flashlights, mobile phones, etc.) are allowed at the observatory. Red flashlights are allowed. Please dim your headlights when approaching and leaving the observatory.
- Pets shall be maintained on a leash at all times and controlled. No pets, running, or play around telescopes.
- We are located in a public park and all park rules must be followed.