Home Van Allen Observatory Van Allen Observatory Welcome to the Van Allen Observatory website. The University of Iowa Department of Physics and Astronomy maintains these pages as a guide to the Van Allen Observatory (VAO) located on the roof of Van Allen Hall in downtown Iowa City. Events Alumni Day 2026 Saturday, April 18, 2026 (all day) Levitt Center for University Advancement Once a Hawkeye, Always a Hawkeye Plasma Physics Seminar - Rui Huang; Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Iowa Monday, April 20, 2026 1:30pm to 2:20pm Van Allen Hall Plasma Physics Seminar Nuclear & Particle Physics Seminar - Ohannes Koseyan; Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Iowa Monday, April 20, 2026 3:30pm to 4:20pm Van Allen Hall Nuclear & Particle Physics Seminar