Oak Ridge Observatory

Oak Ridge Observatory, also known as the George R. Agassiz Station, sits at 42 Pinnacle Road in Harvard, Massachusetts, where it played a leading role in American astronomy for more than seventy years.

About Oak Ridge Observatory

The observatory was operated by the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, as a facility of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO), from 1933 until August 19, 2005.

History

Founded in 1933, Oak Ridge Observatory installed the 61-inch (1.5-metre) Wyeth reflector, which at the time was the largest optical instrument east of Texas. The observatory continued regular operations for 72 years before closing in 2005.

Telescopes & research

Besides the 61-inch Wyeth reflector, the site housed an 84-foot (26-metre) steerable radio telescope used in Project BETA, a SETI search for extraterrestrial signals. For its first 40 years the observatory's research concentrated on tracking minor planets and asteroids, before shifting focus to extrasolar planet observations from the 1980s onward.

Location & getting there

Oak Ridge Observatory is located at 42 Pinnacle Road in Harvard, Massachusetts, in the rural countryside of New England, North America. Use the map on this page for directions.

Visiting Oak Ridge Observatory

Regular scientific operations at Oak Ridge Observatory ceased in 2005, so it should not be assumed to offer routine public tours. Anyone interested in the current status of the site should check with the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian before visiting.

See your named star from here

A site that once hunted minor planets and later scanned for distant planetary systems is a fitting place to picture a star you have named through Star Register. Find its exact coordinates in the star catalogue.