Bowman Observatory

Bowman Observatory sits on the grounds of Julian Curtiss School in Greenwich, Connecticut, where volunteer astronomers open the dome to the public free of charge on a regular schedule.

About Bowman Observatory

Owned and operated by the Greenwich Board of Education, Bowman Observatory is staffed by members of the Astronomical Society of Greenwich (ASG) under the Board's Continuing Education Department. The observatory was built in 1940 by Alden W. Smith, a Greenwich High School science teacher, and its main instrument today is a 16-inch Ritchey-Chretien telescope on a modern pier installed with funding raised by the ASG.

Location & getting there

The observatory is located on East Elm Street in Greenwich, Connecticut, on the campus of Julian Curtiss School, making it an easily accessible stop for local stargazers rather than a remote mountaintop site.

Visiting Bowman Observatory

Bowman Observatory opens to the public free of charge on the first and third Wednesday of each month, weather permitting, plus for special celestial events. Viewing hours shift with the seasons: roughly 8-10pm in spring and autumn, 9-11pm in summer, and 7-9pm in winter. A recorded weather line lets visitors check ahead whether clouds will force a closure.

See your named star from here

If you've named a star with Star Register, the volunteers at Bowman Observatory's public nights can help point their 16-inch telescope toward its coordinates on a clear evening. Look up the exact right ascension and declination in the star catalogue before you go.