John J. McCarthy Observatory

The John J. McCarthy Observatory stands on the campus of New Milford High School in New Milford, Connecticut, a free public facility built almost entirely by volunteers and funded by donations.

About John J. McCarthy Observatory

The observatory opened to the public in December 2000 and has been run by an all-volunteer staff ever since. Its mission is to further science literacy for students and adults across Western Connecticut, and it remains free to use and ADA compliant.

Telescopes & research

Since May 2024, the primary instrument has been a PlaneWave 17-inch Corrected Dall-Kirkham telescope, replacing a Meade 16-inch that served the observatory for around 24 years. Additional instruments include a 106mm Takahashi wide-field refractor, a Coronado solar telescope, a 14.5-inch Dobsonian, two Questar telescopes (7-inch and 3.5-inch), and a 10-inch Meade Schmidt-Cassegrain. The observatory also maintains a remote facility, the Robson Center for NEO Studies in Arizona, used for tracking near-Earth asteroids.

Location & getting there

The observatory sits on Route 7 on the New Milford High School campus in New Milford, Connecticut.

Visiting John J. McCarthy Observatory

The site includes a 16-foot dome, a 1,000-square-foot outdoor observing deck with four telescope piers, a control room, a classroom, a technology centre, and a 3,000-square-foot landscaped area known as Galileo's Garden. Check the official website for current public observing nights before visiting.

See your named star from here

With this range of telescopes on hand, staff can point one at the coordinates of a named star during a public session. Find any star's exact right ascension and declination in the star catalogue.