NJIT Observatory

NJIT Observatory is an astronomical observatory in New Jersey, United States, operated by the New Jersey Institute of Technology's Center for Solar-Terrestrial Research (CSTR).

About NJIT Observatory

NJIT Observatory is run by the New Jersey Institute of Technology's Center for Solar-Terrestrial Research (CSTR), a group focused on solar observation and space weather. CSTR operates a network of facilities beyond New Jersey itself, including the Big Bear Solar Observatory in California, the Owens Valley Solar Array, also in California, and a set of Automated Geophysical Observatories on the Antarctic ice shelf.

Telescopes & research

The centrepiece of NJIT's solar research network is the Big Bear Solar Observatory's Goode Solar Telescope, a 1.6-metre aperture instrument and one of the most advanced solar telescopes in the world, located on the shore of Big Bear Lake in California's San Bernardino Mountains. Alongside it, the Owens Valley Solar Array (OVSA) contributes radio observations of the Sun, while the Antarctic Automated Geophysical Observatories extend the network's reach to polar space weather monitoring. Together, these facilities support NJIT's broader work in solar-terrestrial research and space weather forecasting.

Location & getting there

NJIT Observatory itself is based in New Jersey, part of NJIT's home turf in the North America region, while its sister facilities span California and Antarctica as part of the same research network.

Visiting NJIT Observatory

For current information on tours or public access, check the websites of NJIT's Center for Solar-Terrestrial Research and its individual facilities, including bbso.njit.edu and ovsa.njit.edu.

See your named star from here

NJIT's telescopes are built to track the Sun with precision, using the same right-ascension-and-declination coordinate system that pinpoints every star named through Star Register. Browse the catalogue to find a star, or choose a naming package to name one yourself.