College Magnetic Observatory

Just outside Fairbanks, Alaska, the College Magnetic Observatory keeps a continuous watch on the Earth's magnetic field rather than the stars, but its remote, dark-sky setting still makes it a notable point on the map.

About College Magnetic Observatory

Established in 1948, the observatory is operated by the U.S. Geological Survey's Geomagnetism Program in collaboration with the University of Alaska's Geophysical Institute. It became part of the College International Geophysical Observatory (CIGO), set up in 1996, and the site was renamed the Jack Townshend CIGO in 2009 in honour of a longtime USGS employee.

Telescopes & research

Rather than telescopes, the site houses magnetometers roughly a thousand times more sensitive than a hand-held compass, kept in copper-nailed wooden buildings designed not to interfere with the readings. Its measurements help inform declination calculations used in global positioning systems, continuing geomagnetic monitoring work in the area that traces back to the Second International Polar Year of 1932-34.

Location & getting there

The observatory is located near Fairbanks, in the interior of Alaska, United States.

Visiting

As a scientific monitoring station, it is not set up for public stargazing visits; it is managed by the University of Alaska's Geophysical Institute.

See your named star from here

College Magnetic Observatory measures the sky's effect on Earth rather than viewing it directly, but Fairbanks' famously dark, aurora-clear skies are a superb place to look up. If you've named a star, you can find its exact coordinates any time in our star catalogue and point a telescope of your own toward it.