Keeble Observatory

Keeble Observatory is owned and operated by Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Virginia, honouring a professor whose career at the school spanned more than three decades.

About Keeble Observatory

The observatory is named for Dr. William Houston Keeble, a distinguished professor of physics at Randolph-Macon College from 1919 until his retirement in 1952. Keeble was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, the American Physical Society, and the American Astronomical Society, and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

History

The original observatory building opened in 1963, housing a 12-inch Newtonian telescope. That structure was razed in 2016, and a new, taller building went into service the following year.

Telescopes & research

Today’s Keeble Observatory houses a 40 cm Ritchey-Chretien telescope, a significant upgrade from the original 12-inch Newtonian instrument that served the college for over five decades.

Location & getting there

The observatory is located on the Randolph-Macon College campus in Ashland, Virginia, in the eastern United States.

Visiting Keeble Observatory

As a college facility, Keeble Observatory’s public access is typically tied to campus events and organised viewing nights. Check the college’s physics department page online for current details before visiting.

See your named star from here

With a 40 cm Ritchey-Chretien telescope, Keeble Observatory has the reach to pick out fine detail in the night sky. If you’ve named a star with Star Register, its coordinates could guide a viewing here, or browse our star catalogue to see what’s visible from Virginia.