Welcome to CHAOS
Chapel Hill Astronomical and Observational Society
We cater to all levels of astronomy fans, so if you’re only a beginner, that’s all right–read on.
Upcoming Events
| Event | Date | Details |
|---|---|---|
| December Club Meeting | Tuesday, December 9th 7 pm | Join us in person at Carol Woods, 750 Weaver Dairy Rd., Chapel Hill. We are meeting in Classroom #1. Professor Wayne Christiansen will give us an update about SOAR (the Southern Astrophysical Research Telescope). We’ll hear about SOAR’s progress and how it fits in with its neighbors on Cerro Pachon: Vera Rubin and Gemini South. To join us via Zoom, click HERE. |
| Skywatching at Historic Stagville for Geminid Meteor Shower | Saturday, December 13 8-10 pm | Join Morehead Planetarium and CHAOS at Historic Stagville. Event is free, but registration is appreciated. More information is HERE. |
| Hillsborough Winter Solstice Lantern Walk | Saturday, December 20, 5:00-8:00pm | This is the Winter Solstice event in Downtown Hillsborough. We observe behind the new Court House. More information is HERE. |
| Monthly Skywatching at Staunton River State Park | Saturday, December 20th, 7:00-9:00 pm | Skywatching at this International Dark Sky Park in Virginia with CHAOS. For more information and future monthly dates, please check here. |
| Public Skywatching at Little River Regional Park | Saturday, February 21, 6:30-8:30 | Stay tuned for more information. Little River Regional Park is north of Durham. |
| Spring Star Party at Staunton River State Park | March 16 – 22, 2026 | Look HERE for more information. Registration Opens early January 2026. |
| Public Skywatching at Little River Regional Park | Friday, March 20, 8-10 pm | Stay tuned for more information. Little River Regional Park is north of Durham. |
Schedule a Skywatch
Are you a teacher? Scout Leader? We offer skywatch sessions, free of charge, for any educational purpose.We’ll bring one or more telescopes, depending on the size of the crowd. All…
Telescope Buying Guide
Do you want to buy a telescope, but don’t know where to start? You might consider using a pair of binoculars first, to become acquainted with the night sky. You…
What’s in the Sky Tonight
Facing South, look to your right (West), and you will see the bright star Arcturus. The really bright star almost straight overhead is Vega. Left of Vega, you’ll see another bright star–Deneb. And…
Latest Events and News
President’s Message
Greetings CHAOS and Guests, It is time for the October Staunton River Star Party. The year has gone by way too fast. It seems that we just had our very…
Star Party Status
What an amazing week we had at the Spring 2025 Star Party. We had a little rain on Monday, but the rest of the week was awesome. We observed every…
Star Party Experience
Read about one person’s stellar experience at Staunton River Park, and how she ended up connecting with CHAOS and the star party.
Welcome to the New Website
We hope you’ll look around. Is there something we’re missing that you’d like to see? Please post your feedback, questions, etc. to our new email server, chaosastro.groups.io. If you were…