Maria Mitchell Observatory

On the island of Nantucket, Massachusetts, the Maria Mitchell Observatory has carried the name of America's first professional woman astronomer since it was founded in 1908.

About Maria Mitchell Observatory

The observatory is a core part of the Maria Mitchell Association and actually spans two sites: the original Maria Mitchell Observatory near downtown Nantucket, and the Loines Observatory about a kilometre to the west. Together they hold an archive of more than 8,000 wide-field glass photographic plates recording the sky between 1913 and 1995.

History

Founded in 1908 in honour of Maria Mitchell, the observatory has run public education and research programmes for well over a century. For more than 50 years it has offered NSF-funded summer research internships for undergraduates, work recognised in 2009 when President Barack Obama presented the Maria Mitchell Association with the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring.

Telescopes & research

Three domed telescopes serve the two sites. The Vestal Street location houses a 17-inch Plane Wave Dall-Kirkham telescope, installed in 2008, alongside the observatory's research offices. At Loines Observatory sits the historic 7.5-inch Alvan Clark refractor used for public stargazing, plus a 24-inch Ritchey-Chrétien reflector installed in 2006 that is also opened up for public tours. All three instruments remain in year-round research use.

Location & getting there

The observatory sits on Nantucket, the Massachusetts island off the New England coast, with its two component buildings a short distance apart near the town centre.

Visiting Maria Mitchell Observatory

Public visiting hours run from June through September, 11am to 1pm, Monday to Saturday; check the Maria Mitchell Association's website for tour details and any seasonal changes.

See your named star from here

With three working telescopes on site, staff here regularly point instruments at requested coordinates - exactly what's needed to view a named star. Name a star or browse the catalogue of stars already registered.