Clay Telescope observatory
Image: Wikimedia Commons
On the roof of the Science Center at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the Clay Telescope observatory has given generations of students their first close look at the night sky.
About Clay Telescope observatory
The observatory houses a 16-inch DFM-engineered telescope operated by Harvard's Department of Astronomy and run day to day by Student Astronomers at Harvard-Radcliffe (STAHR). The instrument carries a DFM filter wheel with UBVRI and H-alpha Bessel filters and an Apogee Alta U47 CCD camera, giving it real scientific capability alongside its teaching role.
Telescopes & research
The Clay Telescope is home to the Harvard Observing Project (HOP), which is designed to draw undergraduates into hands-on astronomy while giving graduate students experience teaching observational techniques. Between its filter set and CCD imaging setup, the telescope supports both classroom demonstrations and genuine research-style observing sessions.
Location & getting there
The observatory sits atop the Science Center in the heart of Harvard's Cambridge campus, close to Harvard Square and easily reached on foot from anywhere in the university precinct.
See your named star from here
A star named through Star Register comes with precise coordinates in the sky. Observatory staff and student astronomers at a facility like the Clay Telescope can direct their instrument to that right ascension and declination, turning your certificate into something you can actually see. Search the star catalogue to find a named star's details.
Opening hours and public-visit programs vary by season. Check Google Maps for current times before you travel.
