Clay Center Observatory, Brookline

Under a 24-foot dome on the campus of Dexter Southfield School in Brookline, Massachusetts, Clay Center Observatory has been opening the sky to students and the public since 2002.

About Clay Center Observatory, Brookline

Clay Center Observatory pairs a 24-inch deep-space reflector with a co-mounted 7-inch planetary refractor fitted with an astrocam, letting visitors move from faint galaxies and nebulae to sharp, close-up views of the Moon and planets in a single session. The facility was purpose-built in 2002 as a teaching observatory for Dexter Southfield School, and it doubles as a resource for the wider Brookline community.

Visiting Clay Center Observatory

The observatory runs public telescope nights on most Tuesdays during spring and fall, from 8 to 9 p.m., and the school also offers astronomy courses and other educational programs built around the facility. For general enquiries, the school can be reached at (617) 522-5544 during weekday office hours (Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.). Because telescope nights depend on the season and weather, it's worth confirming dates before you travel.

Location & getting there

Clay Center Observatory sits in Brookline, Massachusetts, a residential town bordering Boston, on the grounds of Dexter Southfield School. Its position close to the city means light pollution limits deep-sky viewing somewhat, but the twin-telescope setup still delivers striking views of the Moon, planets, and brighter deep-space targets.

See your named star from here

Once you've named a star with Star Register, you receive its exact coordinates on the celestial sphere. On a public telescope night, observatory staff can point their instruments at that right ascension and declination so you can find your star in the eyepiece. Browse the star catalogue to look up any named star before you go.