Free Telescopes Are Coming To Libraries Across Big Sky Country

Montana is one of the best places in the U.S. to look up at the stars. We have wide open spaces, limited light pollution, and skies that seem to stretch on forever. Big Sky Country is not just a slogan. It is a real advantage when it comes to stargazing, and now a new program is making it even easier for Montanans to explore the night sky.

The University of Montana’s spectrUM Discovery Area is making waves by put telescopes into libraries across Montana. The program is called Big Sky, Bigger Dreams: Telescopes for Montana Libraries, and it is supported by NASA. The goal is simple but powerful. Give people access to quality telescopes no matter where they live or how much money they have.

Thanks to a $250,000 NASA STEM Innovator Award, the program will roll out over the next two years. More than 120 tabletop telescopes will be distributed to public and tribal college libraries across the state.

This is not a brand new concept for spectrUM. A pilot program launched years ago placed telescopes in a handful of Montana libraries, and the response was overwhelming. Families kept checking them out again and again. Some libraries even added extra telescopes to keep up with demand.

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With Montana’s dark skies and strong sense of curiosity, this program feels like a natural fit. Whether you are a kid seeing the moon up close for the first time or an adult rediscovering a love for the stars, Big Sky, Bigger Dreams is opening the door for more Montanans to experience the universe right from their own backyard.