Foothill Observatory

Foothill Observatory sits on the campus of Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, California, where students and the public share the same dome under Bay Area skies.

About Foothill Observatory

Foothill Observatory is owned and jointly operated by the Peninsula Astronomical Society (PAS) and Foothill College. It supports the college's introductory astronomy lab, a program for non-science majors that serves more than 800 students a year, while also opening its doors to the general public for regular viewing nights.

Telescopes & research

The observatory's main instrument is a 16-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope, donated to the site and brought into operation in 2007. A dedicated hydrogen-alpha solar telescope is also on hand, letting visitors safely observe solar prominences and sunspots in daylight.

Location & getting there

The observatory is on the Foothill College campus in Los Altos Hills, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, North America.

Visiting Foothill Observatory

Conditions permitting, the Peninsula Astronomical Society opens the observatory to the public every clear Friday night from about 9pm to 11pm, free of charge. On clear Saturday mornings from 10am to noon, the hydrogen-alpha telescope is set up for solar viewing. Check the college's astronomy page before visiting, since sessions depend on the weather.

See your named star from here

Because every Star Register certificate includes precise sky coordinates, an observatory like this one can be used to locate a named star from the RA and Dec on the certificate. Name a star or explore the star catalogue to see what's available.