Ford Observatory

The Clinton B. Ford Observatory stands in the forest at the south end of the Ithaca College campus in Ithaca, New York, run by the college's Department of Physics and Astronomy.

About Ford Observatory

The observatory is used for undergraduate astronomy classes and for research by physics faculty and students at Ithaca College. It is named for the late astronomer Clinton B. Ford, whose bequest helped fund its construction.

History

Ford Observatory was built in 1998 with funding from the National Science Foundation, Ithaca College and a bequest from Clinton B. Ford, and it achieved first light in September 1998. Between 2018 and 2022, some of its electronics were repaired after damage caused by rodents.

Telescopes & research

Its main instrument is a CCT-16, a 16-inch f/8 Cassegrain telescope built by DFM Engineering, used for both teaching and faculty-led research.

Location & getting there

The observatory sits in wooded ground on the south end of the Ithaca College campus in Ithaca, New York, in the Finger Lakes region of the northeastern United States.

Visiting Ford Observatory

As a campus facility supporting coursework and research, access is generally tied to Ithaca College classes and events. Check the college's physics and astronomy department for any public viewing nights before planning a visit.

See your named star from here

A 16-inch research telescope like this one is well suited to tracking down a specific point in the sky. With the coordinates from a Star Register certificate, staff or students here could locate a named star directly. Name a star or browse the star catalogue.