Calendar and Events
Griffith Observatory is CLOSED until further notice
Special Events
| AT THE OBSERVATORY... | ||
|---|---|---|
| All public events in 2020 are cancelled to help fight the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic. | ||
| IN THE SKY... | |
|---|---|
| October 1 | Mercury visible after sunset |
| October 2 | Venus near bright star Regulus before sunrise |
| October 5/6 | Mars closest to Earth, 38.6 million miles away |
| October 6 | Mars closest to Earth, 38.6 million miles away |
| October 8 | Possible evening activity from Draconid meteor shower |
| October 12/13 | Mars at Opposition, visible all night |
| October 13 | Mars at Opposition, visible all night |
| October 21 | Orionid meteor shower midnight-dawn |
| October 22 | Crescent moon near Jupiter and Saturn after sunset |
| October 30/31 | Full (Blue) Moon |
| November 1 | Standard Time Starts |
| November 10 | Mercury visible before sunrise |
| November 12 | moon near Venus at dawn |
| November 12 | Jupiter and Pluto less than one degree apart after sunset |
| November 17 | Leonid meteor shower, midnight-dawn |
| November 19 | moon near Jupiter and Saturn after sunset |
| November 25 | moon near Mars after sunset |
| November 29/30 | penumbral lunar eclipse (maximum at 1:42 a.m., PST) |
| More sky information can be found at | |
| Griffith Observatory's Weekly Sky Report | |
| All times are local Pacific Standard Time through March 09, 2019. On March 10 and thereafter all times are local Pacific Daylight Time. | |
| EXPLORING SPACE... | |
|---|---|
October 2 9:17 p.m., PDT |
Elon Musk’s Tesla passes 4.6 million miles from Mars |
October 20 |
NASA Osiris-Rex probe to collect 60 grams of material from asteroid 101955 Bennu in order to bring them to Earth in 2023. |
November 10 |
Launch of Space X Falcon 9 from Vandenberg AFB, California with Sentinel-6 sea-level monitoring satellite. Launch potentially visible from southern California. |
November, date and time to be announced |
launch of SpaceX Dragon Crew 1 mission on a Falcon 9 rocket, the first fully operational NASA mission to the International Space Station and the second to carry a crew there. The crew consists of three NASA astronauts and one from Japan. |
Regular Programs
Griffith Observatory presents daily programs in the Samuel Oschin Planetarium and Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon theater.
The Observatory also hosts periodic special events and monthly public star parties.
Hearing assist devices are available upon request in both the Samuel Oschin Planetarium and the Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon.
2020 Holiday Schedule
| New Year's Day (Jan. 1) | OPEN |
| Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (Jan. 20) | CLOSED |
| Presidents' Day (Feb. 17) | CLOSED |
| Cesar Chavez Day (Mar. 30) | CLOSED |
| Memorial Day (May 25) | CLOSED |
| Independence Day (Jul. 4) | |
| Labor Day (Sept. 7) | CLOSED |
| Indigenous Peoples’ Day (Oct. 12) | CLOSED |
| Veteran's Day (Nov. 11) | OPEN |
| Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 26) | CLOSED |
| Christmas Day (Dec. 25) | CLOSED |
Note: Phone operators are not available on closed holidays.
Free public telescopes...
are available each evening the Observatory is open and skies are clear. Knowledgeable telescope demonstrators are available to guide visitors in observing. Please be aware that the demonstrators must cut off the line for each telescope by 9:30 p.m. or earlier to enable all viewing to be completed by 9:45 p.m. Hours for telescope operation are not the same as for the building (which closes at 10:00 p.m.).
Phone Contacts
General Information Line: 213-473-0800
L.A. City's "311" Information Line: 866-4LACITY
Those wishing to attend programs at Griffith Observatory may reach the Observatory by bus, bike, car, or on foot. For more information see our Getting Here page.
Please be advised that parking is limited and not guaranteed. Demand for parking is highest on weekends, holidays, and Greek Theatre show nights.