Details for ALCON 2026 AfterParty at
The Moeller Observatory

Details Summary:

Date: Sunday August 16th 2026

Time: 2PM - Midnight*

Location: The Moeller Observatory
Adams County Ohio. (Directions will be provided later)

Capacity: 250 guests

Weather contingency: AfterParty will proceed regardless of weather

Food and Beverages: All will be provided by your hosts, Susan and Dieter Moeller of The Moeller Observatory at no charge*.

* transportation will be offered to and from the party for a fee. Transport leaves the Moeller facility at midnight.
Overnight camping is permitted for those attending via their own transportation.

Afterparty details:

Who is Invited: Only attendees of ALCON 2026 may attend this afterparty event. A purchased ticket to the ALCON (regardless of tier) is your ticket to the afterparty at The Moeller Observatory. Attendees of the ALCON may not bring guests with them as this is a limited capacity event and ALCON attendees get priority.

Limited capacity event: This event will be limited to 250 guests. Due to physical constraints of the site, and limitations of indoor seating if the event day brings inclement weather, we must limit this event to 250 guests max.

Event date and time: Guests may begin arriving at The Moeller Observatory starting at 2PM on Sunday August 16th. It will take about 90 minutes to 2 hours to get to the facility depending on your mode of travel and route.

Cost: There is no admission fee to attend the afterparty, however, paid travel arrangements are available and detailed below.

Location: While specific directions will be provided later, The Moeller Observatory is located near Wrightsville Ohio, just a few miles East of Manchester. The property sits near the intersection of Routes 52 and 247.

Transportation: Guests may drive themselves to the afterparty, or for ALCON attendees who are traveling from greater distances and will not have access to cars, we are offering a motor coach transportation option for guests. The transportation will cost $40 per person. The motorcoach fee is nonrefundable after June 30th. The motor coach will leave from the Cincinnati Marriott at RiverCenter around noon to transport guests to the site and then will leave the site to come back to Cincinnati around midnight. The dropoff point will be back at the Cincinnati Marriott at RiverCenter

For guests who are driving themselves, remote parking will be available, and shuttles will bring guests onto the property from the remote parking area, as there is limited parking on the observatory site itself. There is no charge for the remote parking or the shuttle.

Accessibility: The Moeller Observatory site is very hilly with numerous stairs. The second level of the main observatory is not wheelchair accessible. The observing deck of the roll off building is accessible. The observing platform is wheelchair accessible up a small incline from the upper parking area. We will make all our best efforts to accomodate those with limited accessibility to have the best possible experience while at the afterparty.

Note that the main portion of the party will be held at the barn (see Venue below) which is 1000 feet from the osbervatory, down a hill. We will work to provide transport up the hill for those who cannot make the walk themselves.

Local lodging: Dieter Moeller has approved overnight camping on The Moeller Observatory site for those who will not be traveling back to Cincinnati at the end of the event via motor coach. There are also numerous B&Bs in the area, and some hotels at nearby Maysville, Kentucky (18 miles). Note the shuttles to the remote parking areas cease at the end of the event, so morning shuttles will not be available.

We will compile a list of B&Bs and post them to this site at a future time.

Food and beverage: Susan and Dieter Moeller of The Moeller Observatory are providing all food and beverage at no cost to ALCON 2026 attendees who sign up for this event.

Entertainment: there will be music of some kind at the afterparty, possibly a live band. There is music playing typically at night during viewing sessions from the AV system at the observatory itself.

Venue: The Moeller Observatory is the featured structure at the facility, however there is a large industrial barn with a beer garden on the property where the food will be served. It sits on a lower elevation of the property and is approximately 1000 feet from the observatory.

Weather contingencies: The afterparty will be held regardless of weather. In case of rain the party will be moved indoors to the barn mentioned above. It can hold about 250 people snugly. We will hope to have wonderful weather for this event as the views are spectacluar, day and night.

Waivers: Guests of the afterparty must check the waiver box upon signup for the ALCON that any guest attending the afterparty will not hold The Moeller Observatory, Dieter Moeller, or the Cincinnati Astronomical Society or its members and volunteers liable for any injuries or damages sustained while on the property. After dark we will be in low light conditions and there are many steps on this property which is hilly and may contain obstacles both natural and man-made. This is a standard agreement all members of CAS must agree to per the conditions of using the property and we will ask guests of the afterparty to agree to this waiver as well.

Cancellations: In the event your plans change, please notify us. In the event we reach maximum capacity, we would then offer your spots to other guests.

Prohibited items and activities: The following items and activities are prohibited while on The Moeller Observatory property:

• Fireworks

• Smoking or vaping in any of the buildings or on the observing platform.

• No food or drink in any of the rooms that have telescopes.

• Glass bottles of any kind (plastic and aluminum only)

• Open flames of any kind (grills, solo stoves, campfires etc)

• Any type of shooting

• We ask attendess to not bring pets, but if its required, they must be tied up in the camping area. No pets are allowed on the observing platform or in any of the Moeller Observatory buildings.

• Certified services animals are the exception to the above rule.

• If you wish to fly a drone, please request permission first so we can provide standard guidance.

Damages to the Property: It is understood that accidents may happen and damage to the property may occur. In the event this happens, please bring it to the attention of the CAS Moeller Observatory Team who will be co-hosting the event on site, operating the observatories, and working as concierge to our guests.

Visiting The Moeller Observatory: The best way to be able to visit beyond this afterparty is to become a member of the Cincinnati Astronomical Society, who hold regular member events on the site.