Etelman Observatory

High on Crown Mountain above St Thomas, US Virgin Islands, the Etelman Observatory holds the distinction of being the easternmost astronomical observatory in the United States.

About Etelman Observatory

The observatory is owned and operated by the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) and combines astronomical and geophysical research. It is also the only observatory with a robotic instrument anywhere in this part of the Caribbean Sea.

History

Its original building and first instrument were donated by Harry I. Etelman in 1962 to the then-College of the Virgin Islands. The facility was refurbished and upgraded to its current configuration in 2004.

Telescopes & research

Etelman Observatory houses the Virgin Islands Robotic Telescope (VIRT), a 0.5-metre Cassegrain instrument that can be operated remotely, supporting both astronomical observation and research programmes at UVI.

Location & getting there

The observatory sits at about 1,325 feet elevation on Crown Mountain on St Thomas, giving it clear, elevated views over the surrounding Caribbean Sea.

Visiting Etelman Observatory

UVI opens the observatory to the public one night each month, and school groups can arrange separate visits - check the university's observatory page for the current schedule before travelling.

See your named star from here

With a robotic telescope already trained on the Caribbean sky, Etelman is a natural place to think about your own named star. Look up its coordinates in the Star Register catalogue, or start a naming through one of our packages.