USAF Academy Observatory

The USAF Academy Observatory sits on the grounds of the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where cadets and researchers study everything from asteroids to exoplanets.

About USAF Academy Observatory

Run by the Academy's Astronomical Research Group, the observatory supports four academic courses alongside multiple research centers, giving cadets hands-on access to research-grade instruments rather than only classroom instruction.

Telescopes & research

The facility houses a 1.0-metre Ritchey-Chretien telescope installed in 2019, equipped with a large-format camera and a high-resolution spectroscope, plus a 0.5-metre Ritchey-Chretien telescope added in 2023. Together they support deep-space research into asteroid tracking, supernova phenomena and exoplanet studies. The observatory is also a node in the Falcon Telescope Network, a worldwide array of twelve telescopes, and collaborates with the Colorado Springs Astronomical Society, the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO), Colorado College, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's Daytona campus, and Colorado Mountain College.

Location & getting there

The observatory is located within the Air Force Academy campus in Colorado Springs, at the foot of the Rocky Mountains' Front Range, an area whose elevation and generally clear, dry air suit astronomical observing.

Visiting USAF Academy Observatory

Access to the observatory is tied to the Academy's academic and research programmes rather than open public drop-in visits; check the Academy's research pages or contact the Astronomical Research Group for current visitor and event information.

See your named star from here

With instruments capable of tracking objects as small as asteroids, the Academy's telescopes show just how precisely a set of sky coordinates can be located. If you've named a star, its right ascension and declination could, in principle, be pointed to from a site like this one; browse the catalogue to see examples.