Hyde Memorial Observatory

Beside Holmes Lake in Lincoln, Nebraska, the Hyde Memorial Observatory has welcomed the public to look through its telescopes on Saturday nights since 1977, run entirely by volunteers and funded by public donations.

About Hyde Memorial Observatory

Hyde Memorial Observatory is a volunteer-run community observatory wholly dedicated to public astronomy. It was named for Flora Hyde, following a donation made in memory of her late husband, Leicester.

History

The observatory opened in 1977 and has been sustained by public donations and volunteer staffing ever since, making it a long-standing fixture of Lincoln's community science scene.

Location & getting there

The observatory sits near the centre of Holmes Lake in Lincoln, Nebraska, in a park setting that gives it a clear, open view of the sky above the lake.

Visiting Hyde Memorial Observatory

Hyde Memorial Observatory is open to the public on Saturday nights: from April through September it opens from 8pm to 11pm, and from October through March from 7pm to 10pm. Entry is free, and visitors can call ahead with questions.

See your named star from here

On a clear Saturday night, the volunteers at Hyde Memorial Observatory are set up to help visitors find objects in the sky, so a named star's coordinates are exactly the kind of thing worth bringing along. Name a star and get its right ascension and declination on your certificate to search for during a visit. See more named stars in our catalogue.