Origins of Astronomy Banner Background Image

Origins of Astronomy Week

Join us April 6-10, 2026, for a week of faculty talks, makerspace activities, exhibits, and other events showcasing how astronomy has shaped our understanding of the universe, from early observations of the night sky to modern discoveries. Hosted by the University Library System in partnership with the Department of Classics and the Department of Physics and Astronomy, the events below offer the Pitt community opportunities to engage with experts, try hands-on activities, and uncover the stories behind how we study the stars.


Let us know what events you’re interested in or plan to attend by visiting this link.

For some events, space is limited. If registration is full, you may choose to join the waitlist.

Date: Tuesday, April 7, 2026

Exhibit case of the Way of Heaven, Astronomy and Astrology East to West Exhibit

Hyland Gallery Exhibit: The Way of Heaven, Astronomy and Astrology East to West!

“Heaven” denotes the sky above and its contents, the location of deities, and the way one should conduct their life. From the ancient to early-modern world, from East to West, these concepts were overlapping, such that astronomy and astrology were one science. The books from Archives & Special Collections in this exhibit show how each tradition works out the details in different ways, dividing the heavens in different proportions and attaching different significance to their times and positions.

Date: Tuesday, April 7, 2026
Time: 7 a.m. - 11 p.m.
Location: The Hyland Gallery of Archives & Special Collections Exhibits, Third Floor, Hillman Library
Event Type: Exhibit
First Floor Digital Wall Exhibit

Hillman Digital Research Wall: Astronomy Exhibits

Stop by the Hillman Digital Research Wall on the first floor of Hillman Library to explore digital exhibits about Pitt research on physics, astronomy, art history, and the history of science and technology.

Date: Tuesday, April 7, 2026
Time: 7 a.m. - 11 p.m.
Location: First Floor, Hillman Library
Event Type: Exhibit
Front and Back of a wooden astrolabe with Pitt Logo on it

Make an Astrolabe in the Open Lab @ Hillman

Stop by the Open Lab @ Hillman to pick up a pre-made kit and create your own astrolabe. Astrolabes are handheld instruments used to measure the altitude of celestial bodies above the horizon; learn more about these ancient tools and assemble your own!

Date: Tuesday, April 7, 2026
Time: 9 a.m.–8:30 p.m.
Location: Open Lab, First Floor, Room 132, Hillman Library
Event Type: Community Activity
Close up of the Columbian Press

Make an Astronomy Print in the Text & conText Lab @ Hillman

Stop by the Text & conText Lab @ Hillman Library to print an astronomy design on the Columbian Press, reproduced from rare books in Archives & Special Collections. Learn about early printing techniques used to create illustrations of the stars and heavens and leave with your own printed page!

Date: Tuesday, April 7, 2026
Time: Noon - 2 p.m.
Location: Text & conText Lab, Third Floor, Room 310, Hillman Library
Event Type: Community Activity
Take a Study Break

Study Break Tuesday

Join us on the ground floor of Hillman Library for a study break! This study break will feature space-themed activities, trivia, and prizes in celebration of the library’s Origins of Astronomy Week.  

Date: Tuesday, April 7, 2026
Time: 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Location: Ground Floor, Hillman Library
Event Type: Community Activity
visiting scholar Claire Goldstein, University of California, Davis

Visions of Vision: Comets and the Origins of the Observatoire

A talk by visiting scholar Claire Goldstein, University of California, Davis

Claire Goldstein will present the story of how astronomical controversy over a comet's path led to the establishment in 1666 of the French Royal Academy of Sciences and the construction of the Royal Observatory, and will discuss how images of the Observatoire played an important role in signaling the French commitment to observation. Goldstein's recent book, In the Sun King’s Cosmos: Comets and the Cultural Imagination of Seventeenth-Century France, takes as a point of departure two unusually bright comets that galvanised public attention in 1664-65 and 1680-81, bookending the period during which Louis XIV’s sun king mythology was created.

This event is sponsored by the Medieval and Renaissance Studies Program.

Registration Required
Date: Tuesday, April 7, 2026
Time: 2:30 - 3:45 p.m.
Location: Archives & Special Collections Instruction Room, Third Floor, Room 340, Hillman Library
Event Type: Research Presentation