Holden Observatory

Holden Observatory has stood on the Syracuse University campus in Syracuse, New York, since 1887, making it the second-oldest building on campus.

About Holden Observatory

Designed by architect Archimedes Russell, the 30-by-32-foot limestone building carries a lead-covered dome atop a 30-foot tower, built from local Onondaga limestone. It was named for Charles Demarest Holden, a member of Syracuse's class of 1877 who died in 1883, and funded by a $25,000 endowment from Erastus F. Holden.

History

Construction finished in September 1887 and the observatory was formally dedicated that November. Its original instruments included an 8-inch Alvin Clark telescope, a 3-inch reversible transit, a comet seeker, a chronograph, and a chronometer. In 1991, the entire 320-ton structure was relocated 200 feet to make way for Eggers Hall, moved intact on twelve girders and eighty wheels.

Telescopes & research

Holden Observatory's original 8-inch Alvin Clark refractor, together with its transit instrument and comet seeker, supported Syracuse University's early astronomical teaching and observation programme.

Location & getting there

The observatory sits on Syracuse University's campus in Syracuse, New York, near the university's other historic buildings from its late-19th-century Comstock Tract.

Visiting Holden Observatory

As a campus building, Holden Observatory is best visited as part of a Syracuse University campus tour; check the university's physics department or campus visitor pages for current access details.

See your named star from here

Holden's original refractor was built for exactly this kind of work, picking out a single point of light at known coordinates; if you've named a star, look up its position in our catalogue before a campus visit.