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 Operator Theory Seminar - Professor Raúl Curto; Department of Mathematics, University of Iowa Tuesday, October 6, 2026 1:30pm to 2:30pm Van Allen Hall Operator Theory Seminar Astrophysics & Space Physics Seminar - Dr. Shirsh Soni; Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Iowa Wednesday, October 7, 2026 3:30pm to 4:30pm Van Allen Hall Astrophysics & Space Physics Seminar Joint Condensed Matter & Mathematical Physics Seminar - Vinicius Ferreira; Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Iowa Wednesday, October 7, 2026 4:00pm to 5:00pm Iowa Memorial Union (IMU) Joint Condensed Matter & Mathematical Physics Seminar