Observatories in Massachusetts

Image Credit: Noah Fuller '18

Telescopes

This Massachusetts observatory houses a 9-inch Takahashi reflector, a 5-inch Clark refractor, and several portable telescopes for group use.

Visiting

For updated information on when the observatory will be open, visitors are advised to follow the observatory on Twitter: @AyerObservatory.

Image Credit: James Woodward

Visiting

You may visit the Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory on Saturdays, year-round, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. On Sundays the observatory is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., February through December, and by appointment in January. On Federal Holidays and Patriot’s Day, the observatory is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Even with these specified times and dates, visitors are welcome to make an appointment any day of the year for a tour or educational program. There are admission fees for those who wish to visit.

Image Credit: Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

Telescopes

A 15-inch telescope known as “The Great Refractor” is housed at the Harvard College Observatory and has been since its installation in 1847.

Visiting

There are a variety of Public Programs at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics free of charge. One of these is Observatory Nights. This event is held six times during the academic year on the third Thursday of the month. The observatory does not host private events.

Image Credit: MIT Haystack Observatory

Telescopes

This Massachusetts observatory houses a 37-meter radio telescope and a commercially available Small Radio Telescope.

Visiting

Public education is offered twice a year at the Haystack Observatory Open House. Check their website for dates and times.

Image Credit: Williams College Hopkins Observatory

Telescopes

Hopkins Observatory’s original telescope was replaced by a 7-inch refracting telescope, built by Alvan Clark in 1852. The Rooftop Observatory houses an Optomechanics Model 10 spectrograph with a 120 x 2048 pixel CCD camera, a remotely operated 4-inch apochromatic Stellarvue refractor and color CCD camera for wide field imaging, a 6-inch apochromatic Meade refractor for visual observing and planetary imaging. The main telescope of the rooftop observatory, however, is a 24-inch Cassegrain reflector. The observatory also has some of the original equipment, such as a transit, which is an astronomical telescope used to measure when a star transits the meridian.

Visiting

Those wishing to visit the Observatory and inquire about the Astronomy Department’s activities are advised to contact the Williams College Astronomy Department.

Image Credit: American Towns Media

Telescopes

The observatory features a 10-inch telescope and a 14-inch telescope.

Visiting

The observatory offers Public Open Nights weekly on Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. For information on these events, visitors can call 617-353-2630 or watch the Boston University Department of Astronomy’s Twitter page.

Image Credit: Maria Mitchell Association

Telescopes

The featured telescopes are a refurbished, antique 8-inch Clark refractor and a new state-of-the-art 24-inch research telescope.

Visiting

The observatory offers public tours, programs, lectures, and hosts several special events throughout the year. You can find events being offered by the observatory by checking out the Open Nights page. Please note that dates are posted a few months ahead of time so check back closer to your visit for a full list.

Image Credit: University of Massachusetts Amherst

Telescopes

This Massachusetts observatory is home to a 16-inch Cassegrain reflector optical telescope.

Visiting

The observatory is often used for community events and is open to the public for viewing on Thursday nights.

Image Credit: Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

Visiting

Public Programs at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics are held often and are normally free of charge. One of these is Observatory Nights. This event is held three times, on the third Thursday of the month during the academic semester. The observatory does not host private events.

Image Credit: Maria Mitchell Association

Visiting

The Vestal Street Observatory is open for guided daytime tours Monday through Friday during the summer season. A property pass is required for the tour. During this tour, visitors will see an outdoor scale model of the solar system, how to operate a sundial, and may be able to observe sunspots if the weather permits. Check out all of the public programs at the Maria Mitchell Association on Nantucket, Massachusetts and make plans to visit this summer!

Image Credit: Werner Schmidt Observatory

Telescopes

The Cape Cod Astronomical Society began the observatory by building a 14-inch reflecting telescope to be shared among the members. The other telescopes and equipment that came along afterwards are a 16-inch Meade LX200 GPS telescope, an 18-inch Obsession reflector, a 101mm Televue APO refractor, an 8-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain, an 8-inch Dobsonian, a 6-inch Ritchey-Chrétien telescope on a Losmandy mount for photographic work, a 6-inch Meade LightSwitch, a SolarMax II 60mm, a Lunt LS100T, a SBIG ST-8XE CCD camera, a MallinCam STV video camera, a Stellacam STV video camera, a 47-inch LCD television, and various computers with astronomy and other scientific software with Internet access.

Visiting

The Werner Schmidt Observatory schedules Star Parties and Special Events for the public. The specific schedule of these events can be found on their Star Party Calendar. Star Party cancellations are very rare. Even so, when the skies are cloudy, a virtual Star Party will take place inside using computer simulations, videos of interesting sky events recorded previously, demonstrations and/or training on the use of scopes and other equipment and discussions. There are no admission fees and no reservations needed.

Image Credit: Wheaton College

Telescopes

Wheaton College Observatory houses three 12-inch Meade LX600 Schmidt-Cassegrain reflecting telescopes, three 14-inch Celestron EdgeHD SCTs, seven Celestron CPC-1100 SCTs, a 20-inch Dobsonian, and ten Orion StarBlast 4.5-inch Newtonian reflectors. Many of these telescopes are equipped with CCD cameras and have the ability to be remotely controlled from computer terminals.

Visiting

The department hosts viewing nights, called Observatory Open Nights, most Friday evenings. They are open to both the public and students on campus. This event includes an astronomical slideshow, a lecture, a visit to the Starlab Planetarium, and a rooftop viewing on clear nights.

Image Credit: Wellesley College

Telescopes

The Whitin Observatory is home to a 6-inch Clark refractor, a 12-inch Fitz/Clark refractor, and a 24-inch Sawyer reflector. There is also a small fleet of 8-inch Meade LX200 SCTs and a Hale spectrohelioscope that is used for studies of the Sun.

Visiting

Known as Whitin Nights, the observatory offers an event to the public once a month during the spring and fall academic semesters. This event consists of a tour, talks, and the chance to look through the observatory’s 6-inch and 12-inch telescopes. Each night has a unique theme and it is free to attend; no reservations are required.

Image Credit: Amherst College

Telescopes

The observatory is home to an18-inch refracting telescope built by Alvan Clark & Sons. This telescope is still one of the world’s largest refractors.

Visiting

Every clear Saturday of the month from April through October, the observatory opens its doors to the public, free of charge. The doors open at 9 p.m. Other programs may also be available during these months. An email address has been provided on the Wilder Observatory Visit Us page should you wish to inquire.