Francis Marion University Observatory

Francis Marion University Observatory sits at the south end of the FMU campus in Florence, South Carolina, where it has hosted stargazers since the early 1980s.

About Francis Marion University Observatory

Owned and operated by Francis Marion University, the observatory is a teaching and outreach facility rather than a research powerhouse. It houses a variety of telescopes used to introduce students and the local community to observational astronomy, from planets and the Moon to deep-sky targets.

History

The observatory was built in 1982 as part of the university's science facilities, and it continues to serve as the campus's dedicated site for astronomy education.

Telescopes & research

The facility's telescopes are used primarily for public and student viewing sessions rather than professional research, giving visitors hands-on access to instruments that many campus observatories keep behind closed doors.

Location & getting there

The observatory is located on the Francis Marion University campus in Florence, in the North America region of the United States, making it an easy stop for anyone already visiting the university or the surrounding Pee Dee area.

Visiting Francis Marion University Observatory

The university opens the observatory for public viewing of nighttime and daytime celestial phenomena. Check the official observatory page before you go, since sessions depend on weather and the academic calendar.

See your named star from here

If you've named a star with Star Register, the observatory's telescopes can be aimed at its exact coordinates during a public session, turning your certificate into a real point of light in the eyepiece. Look up the star's right ascension and declination first in our catalogue.