John H. Witte, Jr. Observatory

The John H. Witte, Jr. Observatory sits in the Big Hollow Recreation Area near Sperry, Iowa, about 12 miles north of Burlington, home to a historic refracting telescope with roots going back nearly a century.

About John H. Witte, Jr. Observatory

The observatory takes its name from John H. Witte Jr, who gave the telescope to the Burlington School District, where it was originally housed at Apollo School. The Des Moines County Conservation Board later acquired it, and the current observatory building was completed in 1987. The site now forms a complex of three separate observatory buildings: the Witte, Prugh-Carver, and Stone-Kelly observatories, run in cooperation with the Southeastern Iowa Astronomy Club.

Telescopes & research

The primary instrument is a 12-inch aperture refractor built in 1937 by Alvan Clark and Sons, a doublet achromatic design on a brass tube around 15 feet long with a German equatorial mount, capable of roughly 400x magnification. It is believed to be the largest refracting telescope in Iowa.

Location & getting there

The observatory is located at 18832 152nd Avenue, Sperry, Iowa, within the Big Hollow Recreation Area about 12 miles north of Burlington.

Visiting John H. Witte, Jr. Observatory

The observatory operates by appointment through the Des Moines County Conservation Board. Check the official website for current visiting arrangements before planning a trip.

See your named star from here

The historic Clark refractor here can be pointed to the coordinates of a named star just as easily as to the Moon or planets. Look up any star's exact position in the star catalogue.