Education/Outreach

On September 18, a delegation from Pakistan visited Dyer Observatory as part of a weeklong STEM-Powered Immersion Conference hosted by Peabody College of education and human development. Image credit: Balkis Boum In September, a delegation from Pakistan visited Vanderbilt University for the weeklong STEM-Powered Immersion Conference, hosted by Peabody… Read More

Students use handheld spectrometers to observe the spectrum of light sources and identify their composition. Credit: Joe Howell This past July, Dyer Observatory and Vanderbilt’s Programs for Talented Youth (PTY) Summer Academy at Vanderbilt for the Young (SAVY) piloted an astronomy and space science camp designed for academically advanced… Read More

Indiana University’s Dr. Mary Loveless highlights some of the user-friendly sensor modules that she and others routinely use in many of their projects. Credit: Billy Teets On July 14, teachers from Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) and surrounding areas and institutions gathered at Dyer Observatory for an exclusive all-day… Read More

Dyer Telescope Night in Nashville, Tennessee, on June 13, 2025. Photo by Alondra Moya One of the highlights each month at Dyer Observatory is Telescope Night. During these events, visitors come to one of two hour-long sessions to get firsthand views of some of the wonders of the cosmos,… Read More

2025 marks the 60th anniversary of humanity’s robotic exploration of Mars, with Mariner 4 returning the first flyby images of our neighbor in July 1965. Eleven years later, NASA would land Viking 1 on the surface of the Red Planet, making it the first… Read More

As part of their visit on April 4, 2025, OLLI students were given the opportunity to pass around samples of meteorites and tektites. Credit: Tracy Stadnick On April 4, Dyer staff treated two groups of OLLI students (42 total) to a tour of the historic observatory.  Along with learning… Read More

Vanderbilt students, along with some of their family members, view the Moon and Jupiter through telescopes brought to campus from Dyer Observatory. Credit: Billy Teets A major initiative for Dyer Observatory is to ensure Vanderbilt students, faculty, and staff are included in our educational programming, and for many students… Read More

One of Peabody’s Humphrey fellows views Venus through Dyer’s Seyfert Telescope. The prominent red glow is due to the red lights used during some observations, which helps to preserve night vision while allowing one to make their way in the darker conditions. Credit: Alex Rockafellar In addition to the… Read More

Vanderbilt students eagerly await a glimpse of Jupiter through Dyer’s Seyfert Telescope. Credit: Jessica Oster On the evening of Monday, March 17, first-year students from Stambaugh, Hank Ingram, West, Sutherland, and Murray houses paid a visit to Dyer Observatory. Close to 20 students toured the facility with observatory director… Read More

We are thrilled to announce a new collaboration between Dyer Observatory and Vanderbilt’s Programs for Talented Youth (PTY). In lieu of our traditional camps, this summer Dyer will join PTY’s renowned Summer Academy at Vanderbilt for the Young to pilot an astronomy and space science camp designed… Read More