Fuertes Observatory

Fuertes Observatory sits on the North Campus of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, at 274 metres elevation, where it has welcomed stargazers since 1917.

About Fuertes Observatory

Named after Estevan Antonio Fuertes, the Puerto Rican-American astronomer and builder of Cornell's first observatory, the facility is maintained by the Cornell Department of Astronomy. Public open houses are run by the student-led Cornell Astronomical Society.

History

Designed by L.P. Burnham, Cornell's Professor of Architecture, Fuertes Observatory was completed in fall 1917. It was originally used by the Civil Engineering Department as an instructional field office for navigation and surveying before becoming the public outreach observatory it is today.

Telescopes & research

The observatory houses several instruments, including the Irving Porter Church Memorial Telescope, a 30cm Brashear refractor on a Warner & Swasey mount, alongside an Obsession 15-inch (38cm) Newtonian reflector, a Celestron C-14 (35cm Schmidt-Cassegrain), and a Meade LX200 (30cm Schmidt-Cassegrain).

Location & getting there

Fuertes Observatory stands on Cornell University's North Campus in Ithaca, New York, at 274 metres above sea level, in the North America region.

Visiting Fuertes Observatory

The observatory is open to the public and Cornell students every Friday night from 8 PM to midnight during the academic year, weather permitting, welcoming around 2,000 visitors annually. Evenings include educational lectures and astronomy documentaries alongside observation through the telescopes.

See your named star from here

With a collection of refractors and reflectors used for regular public viewing, Fuertes Observatory's volunteers are practiced at aiming a telescope toward specific coordinates in the sky, the same coordinates that mark a named star. Name a star or browse the catalogue to find one.