Thompson Observatory

Thompson Observatory once stood on the campus of Beloit College in Beloit, Wisconsin, serving as the school's astronomical facility for four decades.

About Thompson Observatory

Named in honor of Alfred S. Thompson of Beloit College's Class of 1892, the observatory was built to replace the older Smith Observatory, which had stood on campus since the 1880s.

History

Thompson Observatory was constructed in 1968. It stood until Chamberlin Hall, the building housing it, was demolished in 2008-2009 to make way for Beloit College's new Center for the Sciences.

Telescopes & research

Its primary instrument was a 22-inch reflecting telescope, a substantial instrument for a college observatory of its era, used for teaching and observation at Beloit College.

Location & getting there

The site was located on the Beloit College campus in Beloit, Wisconsin, in the United States.

Visiting Thompson Observatory

The observatory building no longer stands, having been removed as part of campus redevelopment in 2008-2009; there is no facility to visit at this location today.

See your named star from here

Even though this particular building is gone, the coordinates of any named star remain fixed and can be found from any observatory or dark-sky site. Name a star of your own, or browse the star catalogue, and use our observatory finder to locate a site near you today.