Eastern Illinois University observatory

Eastern Illinois University observatory is a teaching and research facility on the university's campus in Illinois, USA, used for classes, research and public open houses.

About Eastern Illinois University observatory

The observatory houses a 16-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope that is computer controlled for positioning and data collection, alongside a second dome added more recently that holds a solar telescope, allowing observation during both day and night. It sits in a dark field on campus, south of the university's baseball stadium.

History

The main observatory building was completed in 2004 and renovated in 2024, when the solar telescope dome was added.

Telescopes & research

Beyond teaching, the observatory supports research into near-Earth objects such as asteroids and comets, and it collaborates with the Astronomical Research Institute located about 10 miles east, which operates telescopes ranging from 24 to 50 inches.

Location & getting there

The observatory is located on the Eastern Illinois University campus in Illinois, USA, within the North America region, in a deliberately dark site away from campus lighting.

Visiting Eastern Illinois University observatory

Open houses are typically held on the last Friday of each month during the fall and spring semesters, giving the public a chance to look through the telescopes. Check the university's physics department for the current schedule before visiting.

See your named star from here

With a 16-inch computer-controlled telescope and a team already searching the sky for asteroids and comets, this is a site built for precise sky coordinates. If you've named a star through Star Register, its coordinates work the same way. Explore our star-naming packages or browse the catalogue to find yours.