Brooks Observatory

On the roof of McMaster Hall at the University of Toledo in Ohio, Brooks Observatory gives students and the public a regular chance to look through a telescope at the night sky.

About Brooks Observatory

Brooks Observatory is owned and operated by the University of Toledo, occupying the 6th floor of McMaster Hall, home to the Department of Physics and Astronomy. It is used primarily for public viewing and undergraduate instruction, and hosts an array of small telescopes centred on a Celestron 14 Edge HD mounted on a robotic Paramount mount under a 16-foot Ash dome. Adjacent to it is Ritter Observatory, home to Ritter Planetarium and a one-metre telescope reserved for graduate and faculty research.

Location & getting there

The observatory is on the University of Toledo campus in Toledo, Ohio, at 2801 W. Bancroft St., on the roof of McMaster Hall.

Visiting Brooks Observatory

Brooks Observatory opens to the public on the second, third and fourth Friday of most months, following the evening program at Ritter Planetarium, weather permitting. Depending on conditions, one to three objects are typically shown per session. For the current schedule, check the Ritter Planetarium and Brooks Observatory website before visiting.

See your named star from here

Because a named star's location is fixed by real right ascension and declination coordinates on its Star Register certificate, it can, in principle, be pointed out with any properly aligned telescope - including the Celestron 14 Edge HD used during Brooks Observatory's public Friday nights. Bring your coordinates along and ask the staff on duty. Start a star name at /#packages or browse examples in the catalogue.