Smith College Observatory

Smith College Observatory is the astronomy facility of Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, with a history stretching back to the 1880s and a modern rooftop site still in active use today.

About Smith College Observatory

The observatory's current home is the McConnell Rooftop Observatory at the Clark Science Center, equipped with a 16-inch Meade LX200 ACF Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope, a 12-inch Meade LX200 Schmidt-Cassegrain, and a Dobsonian Newtonian telescope. The department is part of the Five College Astronomy Department, a shared program among nearby colleges, and regularly hosts public star parties for students.

History

The observatory was established in 1885–1886 with funding from the college's trustees, and its original telescope was a 12-inch diameter glass lens instrument housed under a steel moveable dome. Mary E. Byrd was hired in 1887 as Teacher of Astronomy and served as the observatory's first director.

Location & getting there

The observatory sits on the Smith College campus in Northampton, Massachusetts, in the Pioneer Valley of the state's western region. Use the map and directions on this page to find the campus.

Visiting Smith College Observatory

Public star parties are held for students as part of the Five College Astronomy programme; checking the college's astronomy department website ahead of a visit is the best way to confirm current session dates.

See your named star from here

With telescopes able to be pointed at precise sky coordinates, a star named through Star Register can be located from Smith College Observatory using its right ascension and declination. Explore the star catalogue to see a named star's position.