Seminar Series
The Institute for Astrophysical Research Seminars Series convene every other Monday with noted exceptions during the Fall and Spring semesters in room 502 of 725 Commonwealth Avenue from 3:30-4:30PM. The seminar is preceded by refreshments in room 500 at 3:15PM.
For a complete list of this semester’s Seminar Series, please click here.
To review a list of past semesters’ talks, please visit our Previous Seminars page.
Public Open Night at the Observatory
Held by the BU Department of Astronomy, the Public Open Night at the Observatory is a chance for people to come observe the night sky through telescopes and binoculars and see things they otherwise might not get to see, and learn some astronomy as well. The Open Nights are held most Wednesday evenings throughout the year, weather permitting.
The program starts promptly at 7:30pm during the fall and winter months, and 8:30pm during the spring and summer months.

Photo by Jackie Ricciardi for Boston University
For more information, please see the Department of Astronomy’s Public Night webpage. All inquires should be directed to the Department of Astronomy.
Past Events
Since its inception, the Institute for Astrophysical Research has become a home to a large number of graduate students, postdocs, researchers, and faculty. IAR has hosted multiple professional meetings, conferences, and workshops that were attended by astronomers from all over the world.
- 4th MA-CT Regional Star Formation Meeting
- Milky Way Surveys: The Structure and Evolution of Our Galaxy
- Infrared Astronomy from Antarctica
- Gravitational Lensing: Recent Progress and Future Goals
Edited conference proceedings are available for two of the above meetings: Gravitational Lensing: Recent Progress and Future Goals, edited by Tereasa Brainerd and Christopher Kochanek (ASP conf. series vol. 237) and Milky Way Surveys: The Structure and Evolution of Our Galaxy, edited by Dan Clemens, Ronak Shah and Tereasa Brainerd (ASP conf. series vol. 317).