Explore Through Exhibits

We host physical and digital exhibits exploring the rich history of the Observatory and the University of Michigan, as well as the outstanding collections of the Bentley Historical Library. 

Exhibits are available for viewing during open hours and public programs.

Recorded Talks and Presentations

Videos of talks and presentations at the Observatory.

  • Watch video

    Movie Night: “Big Astronomy” w/ Dr. Shannon Schmoll

    Dr. Shannon Schmoll, director of the MSU Abrams Planetarium, discusses Big Astronomy, or Astronomia a Gran Escala, a documentary that she and others produced to share the story of the people and places who make big astronomy and big science happen. The show takes visitors to the extreme sites where astronomy happens in the most extreme environments and with some of the most interesting people.

    Watch video
  • Watch video

    Science @DO: “Mirror, mirror in the basement…” with Prof. Pat Seitzer

    Science@DO was joined by U-M Astronomy Professor emeritus Pat Seitzer to share the story of a giant telescope mirror that once lived in the Detroit Observatory basement and found a home in a telescope across the Atlantic Ocean.

    Watch video
  • Watch Video

    Michigan Archives Night: Dark Days, White Nights: American North Russia Expeditionary Force in Archangel, 1918-1919 with Olga Virakhovskaya

    Olga Virakhovskaya, the Lead Archivist for Collections Management at the Bentley Historical Library, discusses the American military intervention at Archangel, Russia, at the end of World War I, nicknamed the “Polar Bear Expedition" -- a strange episode in American history. Talk given December 8, 2022.

    Watch Video
back to top