Class of 1951 Observatory

The Class of 1951 Observatory stands on the Vassar College campus near Poughkeepsie, New York, a purpose-built facility funded by alumnae as a gift to their alma mater.

About Class of 1951 Observatory

Ground was broken in the fall of 1996 and the observatory opened in January 1997, funded by Vassar's class of 1951 to mark their 45th reunion. Designed by the architecture firm Roth and Moore, it went on to win an American Institute of Architects award in 1998, recognised for melding vernacular building design with science.

Telescopes & research

The building is arranged in three parts: a central connecting section with a half-round roof, flanked by two domes housing the main telescopes — a 20-inch reflector used chiefly for public outreach, and a 32-inch reflector reserved for teaching and research, tied for the second-largest optical telescope in New York State. A 5-inch solar telescope and an 8-inch refractor round out the instrument collection. The building's aluminum sheathing and well-insulated interior were chosen specifically to reduce thermal pollution that could disturb observations, an improvement on the masonry walls of its predecessor, the Maria Mitchell Observatory.

Location & getting there

The observatory sits near the eastern edge of Poughkeepsie, New York, on the Vassar College campus in the Hudson Valley.

Visiting Class of 1951 Observatory

The observatory holds open nights for the public on Wednesdays from 9 to 11pm during the school year; check Vassar's Physics and Astronomy department page for term dates and any cancellations before visiting.

See your named star from here

Every star named through Star Register comes with precise coordinates, exactly the kind of data Vassar's own 32-inch research telescope uses to find its targets. Name a star before a Wednesday open night, or browse the catalogue of stars already registered.