Van Allen Observatory
Satellite imagery: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics
On the roof of Van Allen Hall in downtown Iowa City, the Van Allen Observatory brings university-grade astronomy to the heart of campus.
About Van Allen Observatory
Van Allen Observatory is operated by the University of Iowa's Department of Physics and Astronomy. It sits atop Van Allen Hall, putting it right in downtown Iowa City rather than at a remote site.
Telescopes & research
The observatory is equipped with a 17-inch f/6.8 Corrected Dall-Kirkham reflecting telescope, capable of observing stars down to roughly 16th–17th magnitude. It is used for undergraduate laboratory instruction, instrumentation development, and public outreach.
Location & getting there
Being located in downtown Iowa City, the observatory offers an accessible city-centre setting, part of the University of Iowa campus in eastern Iowa, United States.
Visiting Van Allen Observatory
The observatory holds Public Observing Nights roughly 12 times a year, making it one of the more consistently accessible university observatories for casual visitors. Check the University of Iowa's observatory pages for the current schedule.
See your named star from here
With a 17-inch telescope built for both teaching and outreach, Van Allen Observatory is well suited to locating the precise coordinates of a named star during one of its public nights. Name a star or explore the star catalogue.
Opening hours and public-visit programs vary by season. Check Google Maps for current times before you travel.