Leuschner Observatory

Leuschner Observatory is a teaching and research facility jointly operated by the University of California, Berkeley and San Francisco State University, located in Lafayette, California.

About Leuschner Observatory

Leuschner serves as a hands-on training site for astronomy students at both partner universities, combining optical and radio instruments used in undergraduate and graduate coursework.

History

The observatory began in 1886 as the Students' Observatory on the Berkeley campus, built to give civil engineering and astronomy students practical training. It was renamed in 1951 to honour longtime director Armin Otto Leuschner, who led it from 1898 to 1938. In 1965 the observatory relocated to Lafayette, roughly 10 miles east of Berkeley, and San Francisco State University's physics and astronomy department joined as a partner in 2012.

Telescopes & research

Leuschner currently operates two main instruments: a 30-inch optical telescope fitted with a CCD camera for visible-light imaging and an infrared detector, and a 4.3-metre radio dish used in an undergraduate radio astronomy course. Historically, the site has supported real research, including early-1900s work on the orbits of small Solar System bodies and supernova surveys carried out in the 1980s and 1990s.

Location & getting there

The observatory sits in Lafayette, California, in the East Bay hills east of Berkeley, far enough from campus for darker skies while remaining an easy drive for students and visitors.

Visiting Leuschner Observatory

Leuschner primarily serves UC Berkeley and San Francisco State University students and researchers. If you'd like to visit or attend a public event, check the observatory's official website for current access and schedule information before travelling.

See your named star from here

With its 30-inch research telescope, Leuschner Observatory has the equipment needed to point at the precise coordinates of any star, including one you've named. Explore our star-naming packages or browse the star catalogue to find the star that's yours.