Paul Robinson Observatory

Inside Voorhees State Park in Lebanon Township, New Jersey, Paul Robinson Observatory houses the largest public telescope in the state, drawing amateur astronomers and curious visitors to its dark, forested corner of the park.

About Paul Robinson Observatory

The observatory is owned and operated by the New Jersey Astronomical Association (NJAA), a volunteer amateur astronomy club. Its centerpiece is a 26-inch Cassegrain telescope, mounted on a German equatorial mount originally built for Indiana University: an iron casting roughly 7 feet high and weighing more than 4 tons. The telescope tower rises 15 feet above the observing floor, and its foundation runs 20 feet down to bedrock to keep the massive instrument steady.

Telescopes & research

Beyond its scale, the 26-inch Cassegrain supports both serious amateur research and public observing programs run by NJAA members, making deep-sky objects that are invisible to smaller backyard telescopes accessible to visitors.

Location & getting there

Voorhees State Park's elevation and tree cover give the observatory darker skies than much of surrounding New Jersey, a key reason NJAA chose the site. The park itself offers hiking trails and campgrounds, making an observatory visit easy to combine with a day outdoors.

Visiting Paul Robinson Observatory

The NJAA hosts public viewing nights at the observatory; check the club's website for the current schedule, as sessions depend on clear skies and volunteer availability.

See your named star from here

A star named through Star Register comes with precise coordinates that any equatorial-mounted telescope, including the 26-inch Cassegrain here, can be pointed toward. Search our catalogue to see stars others have named.