Observatories are home to some of the biggest and most impressive telescopes in the world. As many amateur astronomers know, there are numerous ways to experience the night sky beyond looking through a telescope in your own backyard. Idaho has impressive observatories that offer a wide variety of star parties, tours, and observatory programs that will expand your knowledge of astronomy and your love of the night sky, whether you are new to astronomy or have been in the hobby for years.
For your convenience, we have compiled an alphabetical list of observatories in Idaho that offer programs for the public.
Disclaimer: This information was collected from the observatories’ websites in May 2024. Some information may be subject to change if the websites are updated. If interested in visiting one of the listed observatories, please contact the observatory for the latest information before you visit.
Centennial Observatory
The Centennial Observatory is one of the largest fully wheelchair-accessible public telescopes. It is located in Twin Falls, Idaho.
Telescopes
The main telescope in the Centennial Observatory is the Norman Herrett telescope. It is a 24” Ritchey-Chrétien reflector on a computer-driven fork mount. It includes an optical “periscope” designed by DFM that allows unprecedented access for those who are wheelchair-bound or those who are limited in mobility. An Apogee Alta E47 + CCD camera is also available.
Additional telescopes include: a JMI NGT-18 18" f/4.5 Newtonian, a Questar 7" Maksutov, two Questar 3.5" Maksutovs, a Celestron Ultima 11 Schmidt-Cassegrain, a Meade 10" LX200GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain, a Meade 10" LX5 Schmidt-Cassegrain, a Meade 8" LX10 Schmidt-Cassegrain, a Celestron 8" C-8 Schmidt-Cassegrain (on loan from Dr. Alan Frost), and a Coronado 60 mm SolarMax II hydrogen-alpha solar telescope.
Image Credit: Centennial Observatory
Visiting
The observatory has several events in which the public can participate. There are Monthly Star Parties on the 2nd Saturday of the month (weather permitting). These star parties start one hour after sunset and last until midnight. There is no admission fee for the Monthly Star Parties. Other events consist of the Summer Solar Sessions, which are Wednesdays from Memorial Day through Labor Day (weather permitting). These run from 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm and also have no admission fee. The observatory also hosts Telescope Tuesdays on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month starting in November and continuing through February (weather permitting). These begin an hour after sunset until 9 pm. Admission is $1.50 per person (children under 6 are free) or free with planetarium show admission.
The observatory also hosts school visits. The reservation link can be found here. They also host private events; the reservation for private events can be found here.
Interested in finding an observatory or planetarium in your state? Check out our Astronomy Hub!
