Celestial Observatory

Celestial Observatory is Arkansas Tech University's astronomical facility in Russellville, Arkansas, home to a fleet of reflecting telescopes used for both research and public education.

About Celestial Observatory

Owned and operated by Arkansas Tech University, the observatory sits at an elevation of roughly 351 feet (107 m) and houses a well-equipped line-up of instruments: a 16-inch Meade reflector as the flagship scope, a 12-inch Celestron reflector, three 8-inch Celestron reflectors, and smaller 6-inch and 4-inch Celestrons for wider-field views.

Telescopes & research

With six reflecting telescopes spanning from 4 to 16 inches in aperture, Celestial Observatory can run multiple observing stations at once, making it a hub for the university's astronomy courses as well as public outreach nights and observing forecasts published for the community.

Location & getting there

The observatory is located on the Arkansas Tech University campus in Russellville, Arkansas, in the south-central United States, at an elevation of about 351 feet.

Visiting Celestial Observatory

Arkansas Tech publishes observing forecasts and runs educational programs at the site; check the university's observatory website for current public session dates before visiting.

See your named star from here

With six telescopes to choose from, Celestial Observatory's team can match the right instrument to the coordinates of any named star. Find yours, or browse others, in our catalogue.