A Distinguished
Northeast Ohio
Astronomy Organization
Since 1957.

Ohio's Observatories

Here's a list, with contact information, of observatories to be found within the state of Ohio. Some are historical, some are new, some are used in professional research, others in education, and many have public nights where anyone can take a close-up look at the heavens. All represent a rich heritage shared by Ohioans: a love of the beauty and knowledge to be found in the astronomical realm. If we have missed a facility, or if one of our links is broken, please inform the webmaster.

This page is being re-constructed!

Right: The dome of the Burrell Observatory
at Baldwin-Wallace College, Berea.
Photo by James Guilford

Photo: Dome of Burrell Observatory by James Guilford

Astronomy Club of Akron Portage Lakes State Park 5031 Manchester Road (330) 882-3713 The club completed the Akron area's first public observatory in 1988. The ACA Observatory houses a state-of-the-art Meade 14-in. LX200 GPS, computerized Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope. Its large aperture combined with a dazzling array of features, such as a 145,000-object database, Zero Image-Shift Microfocuser, GPS Alignment, and High-Precision Pointing, allow for detailed views of galaxies, nebulae, the planets and the Moon. The observatory has regularly scheduled public observing nights and is available for group tours by special arrangement. Photo from Club Web site.
Apollo Observatory Boonshoft Museum of Discovery 2600 DeWeese Parkway Dayton, Ohio 45414 (937) 275-7431 X 122 Email: cadams@boonshoftmuseum.org Charles Shirk, MVAS Observatory Chairperson The original building and the 50cm telescope located in the dome were designed with the advice and guidance of the Miami Valley Astronomical Society (MVAS). The Observatory was built by the Museum using grant money from local foundations and labor and materials donated from local businesses. The second floor of the Apollo Observatory contains a large meeting room where monthly meetings and social gatherings are held. The 50cm telescope is also located on the second floor, just to the south of the meeting room. A glass wall permits casual inspection of the telescope by visitors, although the entire observatory is open for public viewing on each clear Friday of the month (weather permitting).
Ballreich Observatory County Road 33 North of Tiffin, Ohio Located about five miles North of Tiffin, Ohio on the grounds of Camp Hertzer, stands the Ballreich Observatory. In September 1984, thanks to the efforts of Doyle Ballreich, a Tiffin resident and president of the Ballreich Potato Chip Company, the observatory became home to the telescope for which it was constructed - the 12.5-inch Emerson McMillin refracting telescope. Built in 1895 by John A. Brashear of Pittsburgh the telescope was originally put into operation at Ohio State University, at the Emerson McMillin Observatory, and was the largest telescope in the state of Ohio. The telescope was used for research and instruction by the university. As a condition of the original donation of funds, from McMillin to construct the telescope and observatory, use of the telescope was to be offered to the public. In honor of McMillin's request, the university made the telescope available twice, monthly to the general public until 1962. On July 5, 1976 four members of the Astronomical Society began a three week operation to remove the telescope from the observatory and relocate it to the Union Carbide plant in Fostoria. It took seven months to restore the telescope to operating condition. Nine years passed as the telescope sat unused, as the issue of "location" for a new observatory was debated. Union Carbide engineer Charles Clark discussed the possibility of relocating the telescope to Camp Hertzer with Doyle Ballreich. Ballreich set in motion a chain of events to transfer ownership of the telescope to Heidelberg College in Tiffin, acquire land for an observatory from the Tiffin Rangers, and approach the Fostoria Astronomical Society to accept the task of operating the observatory in conjunction with the college staff. Today the members of the Sandusky Valley Amateur Astronomy Club continue the tradition of providing to the public an opportunity to see the wonders of our solar system and beyond. As weather permits, public viewings are held monthly at the observatory after scheduled meetings. SVAAC members also organize star parties open to the public and hosts many viewing sessions for area schools, groups, and churches. Photo by James Guilford.
Bowling Green State University Observatory Dept. of Physics and Astronomy Bowling Green, Ohio 43403 (419) 372-7244 Email: layden@baade.bgsu.edu (Dr. Andrew Layden) The Observatory houses a computer-operated DFM reflecting telescope with a half-meter (20-inch) primary mirror. The telescope is equipped with a First Magnitude CCD camera, a highly-sensitive electronic camera for photographing and measuring the brightness and color of stars and other astronomical objects. The telescope can also be used for visual observing or with a 35-mm camera for film photography. The Observatory is located on the roof of the Physical Sciences Laboratory Building. The 0.5-meter telescope is used for instruction in most astronomy courses. Introductory students look through the telescope as part of stargazing sessions and view images taken with the telescope in classes in the planetarium. Advanced students in Observational Astronomy or independent study courses gain hands-on experience and learn modern observing and image processing techniques. Students and faculty also use the telescope for observational research projects. The Observatory maintains a sky deck and several portable telescopes used along with the 0.5-meter telescope during stargazing sessions for introductory astronomy students and the general public. The Observatory is open to the public for stargazing and viewing through the 0.5-meter telescope during the academic year following the weekend planetarium shows, weather permitting. Photo from BGSU Observatory page
Burrell Memorial Observatory at Baldwin-Wallace College 28 Fifth Street Berea, Ohio Burrell Memorial Observatory (1940) was a gift of Mrs. Katherine Ward Burrell in honor of her husband, a widely known designer and engineer who built some of the world's largest telescopes. It contains a 13 3/8-inch Warner and Swasey refracting telescope, display room, astronomy classrooms. The telescope is used in astronomy instruction by the Department of Physics. The interior of the building recently received an overhaul. Open Houses are scheduled for the 3rd Friday of every month. Call (440) 826-2312 for more information. Photo by James Guilford.
Clarke Observatory at Mt. Union College, Alliance Department of Physics and Astronomy 1972 Clark Ave. Alliance, Ohio 44601 (330) 823-3175. The principal telescope now in use at the observatory has an interesting history. In 1897 Mr. G.N. Saegmuller of Washington, D.C., an astro-instrument maker, built to specifications a telescope designed for Charles Ezra Hequembourg, a pioneer industrialist and enthusiastic amateur astronomer from Dunkirk, New York. Following Hequembourg's untimely death in 1908, the telescope, building, and contents were purchased by Elmer Harrold of Leetonia, who in 1924 donated the instrument to Mount Union College. In 1968, the telescope was completely rebuilt and modernized under the direction of the physics department of the College, fully restoring the original mechanical excellence. A new 8.5-inch objective lens manufactured by the J.W. Fecker Co. of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was installed in 1955, thereby ensuring an instrument of outstanding quality. The building was demolished in 1969 to make way for a new gymnasium. A new observatory building was completed at the south end of East Hall. After being disassembled and refinished at the Alliance Tool Company, the telescope was installed in the new Clarke Observatory at the end of February, 1969. Clarke Observatory was recently moved to its third location on campus when it was relocated from East Hall to its new home on the roof of Bracy Hall. It was at Clarke Observatory in the first half of the 20th century that Ohio native Walter Haas, with a full scholarship, studied the skies from Mt. Union. Haas founded the Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers (ALPO) in 1947.
Cleveland Museum of Natural History Mueller Observatory 1 Wade Oval Dr., University Circle Cleveland, Ohio 44106 (216) 231-4600 Email: csimpson@cmnh.org Since December 7, 1960, the Ralph Mueller Observatory has brought the wonders of the night sky into view for hundreds of thousands of people. The observatory houses a 10 1/2-inch refracting telescope built by the Warner and Swasey Co. of Cleveland in 1899. The renowned J.A. Brashear Company of Pittsburgh, Penn., made the telescope's optics. Warner and Swasey originally donated the telescope to Western Reserve University (today Case Western Reserve University). A gift from Museum trustee Ralph Mueller allowed the addition of an observatory. The observatory is open to the public on clear Wednesday evenings from September through the end of May from 8:30 to 11 pm. Visitors are asked to arrive before 10 pm and dress for the weather. A planetarium program is presented on cloudy evenings. When the Museum opened the Nathan and Fannye Shafran Planetarium on January 15, 2002, a wonderful new resource was added for astronomy education in Northeast Ohio. The state-of-the-art facility, designed by Cleveland architectural and engineering firm Westlake Reed Leskosky, offers audiences unparalleled opportunities to learn about the universe. CMNH Photo
Cincinnati Observatory Center 3489 Observatory Place Cincinnati, Ohio 45208 (513) 321-5186 Email: Observatory@fuse.net The Cincinnati Observatory Center is the oldest professional observatory in the United States. Operating since 1842, the observatory is a National Historic Landmark and houses two historic telescopes. The 1842 12-inch Merz und Mahler is possibly the oldest continually-used telescope in the world and is the oldest professional telescope in the Western Hemisphere still in use. It is used for most of their public star gazes. Their "new" scope is the 16-inch 1904 Alvan Clark & Sons refractor -- which provides wonderful views of the planets and the moon -- and tracks with a weight-driven mechanical clock drive. For more information about the Observatory, including an extensive history, historic tours, public and private star gazing, facility rental and special events, contact the observatory by email or visit their Web site.
Cuyahoga Astronomical Association Observatory PO Box 868 North Olmsted, OH 44070-0868 The observatory is located at Medina County's Letha House Park, located at Letha House Park, due east of Spencer, Ohio. This, our own observatory, was dedicated on July 21, 2001. While the building looks like a farm outbuilding, the entire roof slides off for a nearly unobstructed view of the sky. It houses several club-owned telescopes: a 10-inch Cassegrain, 12-inch Newtonian (Dobson-type portable mount), and a 16-inch Newtonian which are available for member use. A solar telescope is to be added to the structure in 2003. The observatory is operated in cooperation with the Medina County Park System (which owns the property). Trained park personnel may also employ the observatory in public educational programming.
CWRU Observatories Department of Astronomy Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, Ohio 44106-7215 (216) 368-3595 Email: wpc@po.cwru.edu The historic Warner and Swasey Observatory was established in 1920 as a part of Case Western Reserve University by Worcester R. Warner and Ambrose Swasey, whose Cleveland-based Warner and Swasey company was renowned for making some of the finest telescopes of the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries. The original facility in East Cleveland was closed in 1982. In 1979, The University relocated its Burrell Schmidt telescope to Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona, where it received a major overhaul and restoration. The Burrell Schmidt was refitted in 2002-2003 to operate with a CCD array in place of photographic plates and is currently used for cutting-edge astronomical research imaging. Thus, the Warner and Swasey Observatory continues its tradition of cutting edge astronomy research from the pristine skies of Arizona. A 9 1/2-inch refractor (pictured) is located on top of the A.W. Smith building. The "rooftop" telescope was originally shared by Mr. Warner and Mr. Swasey in a backyard observatory they built and used until they donated the telescope to the university observatory. It is available to faculty, staff, and students of CWRU. CWRU also operated the Nassau Astronomical Station observatory, 30 miles east of Cleveland, where observing was done until recently using a 36-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope. Nassau Station is no longer in operation. The property and telescope are to become central features of a new public facility, the Geauga Park District's Observatory Park.
Freelander Park Observatory 400 Hillside Drive (off Friendsville Road) Wooster, Ohio (330) 262-6866 Elmer Steingass, WCAS Secretary In 1963 a 6" Cook refractor, built in England during the closing years of the 19th century, was installed at the Freedlander Park Observatory. The observatory was dedicated on Memorial Day of that year. More recently, through the efforts of club members and assistance from the city of Wooster, sufficient funds were raised to refurbish the observatory and install a new telescope. It is a Meade LDX55 6" refractor with computerized go-to drive and gives excellent views of the heavens. On May 26, 2003, the 40th anniversary of the original dedication, the observatory was re-dedicated and the new telescope named the "Jack Strater Telescope" in honor of all the work and effort Jack has given to the Wayne County Astronomical Society over the years. Public nights are held the 4th Saturday of the month: 7:30 PM in the winter, dusk in the summer. Public night to view the stars from the club's telescope at Freedlander Park.
Frost Observatory Western Reserve Academy College Street Hudson, Ohio Thomas Vince, Archivist and Historian Built in 1981, the Frost Observatory, on the campus of Western Reserve Academy, was named for the Frost family which donated funding for the building and its telescope. It features a unique building design. With the aid of massive counterweights, the top portion of the building, including its metal roof, tips off to uncover a second-floor observing deck. Observers on the deck can operate the facility's Celestron-14 SCT which is mounted to a substantial pier. The 14-inch was Celestron's top-of-the-line in 1981. The pier penetrates the lower portion of the building and is anchored in the earth below. A tiny warmup room/office is to be found in the observatory's lower level. Frost Observatory is open to the public on an irregular schedule.
Indian Hill Observatory PO Box 11 Chagrin Falls, OH 44022 Bob Modic , Director of Observations Indian Hill Observatory, located in Huntsburg Township Ohio, southeast of Chardon, is home to The Chagrin Valley Astronomical Society's 16-inch telescope, and a 14-inch Dobsonian mounted on a moveable platform. There are regular public nights through out the year to educate the public about astronomy. While major work was completed in 1981, the observatory building has been upgraded over the years and has electricity and telephone service. The CVAS owns the observatory property.
John Bryan State Park Observatory 3790 State Route 370 Yellow Springs, OH 45387 (937) 767-1274 John Meece, MVAS Observatory Chair: (937) 426-1068 In 1977, the Miami Valley Astronomical Society was fortunate to be able to secure a lease with the State of Ohio (ODNR) for an abandoned Air Force satellite tracking facility in John Bryan State Park. Located just northeast of Yellow Springs, the John Bryan State Park Observatory is about 20 miles from the Apollo Observatory (see above). The facility sports a 15' dome as well as a 20' X 20' room with a roll-off roof, and is located in a fenced-in compound providing significant security for its equipment. Access is controlled jointly by the state park and MVAS.
Loomis Observatory Western Reserve Academy College Street Hudson, Ohio Thomas Vince, Archivist and Historian Originally named the Hudson Observatory, the now Loomis Observatory is the second-oldest astronomical observatory in the U.S. (The Cincinnati Observatory Center is the oldest observatory in the country.) Housed in the squat three-room brick building on a private school campus is the observatory's original main telescope, a four-inch refractor built by London, England's Troughton and Simms. The building also features a transit observatory with its original instrument still firmly bolted to its pier. A third telescope, built by J.W. Fecker of Cleveland, in 1923, stands on a wooden tripod in the observatory's office. The main telescope (click photo to see picture) is no longer used for observing but a plaque at the door reads, "Elias Loomis and Charles Augustus Young worked in this observatory, built in 1838, the third to be erected in the United States and the second oldest now standing (1926)." Loomis was a prominent astronomer in his day and, as a condition of his coming to Hudson to teach at the then Western Reserve College, the observatory was built. Loomis taught and observed in Hudson from 1837 to 1844. Western Reserve Academy has a second observatory on campus. The Frost Observatory, built in 1981, is a two-story block and metal structure. An observing platform is covered by a tip-off roof assembly when not in use. It houses a 14-inch orange-tube Celestron SCT mounted to a sturdy pier that is sunken into the earth. Beneath the observing floor is a tiny warmup room. The Loomis Observatory is open to the public on rare occasions including the annual Treasures of the Western Reserve Academy tour which takes place in the autumn. Groups may make special arrangements for a visit. The Frost Observatory is open for public observing on an infrequent schedule. Click image to see the telescope. Photos by James Guilford
KSU/NASA Observatory Kent State University Kent, Ohio (330) 672-9747 The tradition of public astronomical observing at Kent State University goes back to 1938, when Prof. R. Emmons installed a 13-inch telescope between Rockwell and Franklin Halls. For many years, the physics department operated a 12-inch telescope in an observatory located near the highest elevation on campus, close to the Police Department. That facility was dismantled to make way for a water tower. In November 1997, a new robotic 12-inch telescope was put into service, jointly sponsored and operated for public viewing by the physics department and a NASA-funded project in the College of Education. The KSU/NASA observatory is normally open for public observing on Friday evenings (weather permitting) beginning about one-half hour after sunset and lasting until about 10:30 p.m. The sessions are free and open to all ages. The observatory is staffed by Kent State University physics students who will show you the wonders of the night sky. Check the Web site for instructions on how to find it; call ahead to be certain the observatory will be open.
Mahoning Valley Observatory 1076 State Rte 534 NW Newton Falls, OH 44444-9514 (330) 742-3616 Email: mvobservatory@hotmail.com The Mahoning Valley Observatory is operated by the Mahoning Valley Astronomical Society and serves the needs of Amateur Astronomers in Trumbull, Mahoning, Portage and Columbiana counties. The MVAS was founded in October of 1939 by 16 dedicated amateur astronomers. By 1949 the club had built a telescope that used a 16-inch diameter paraboloid mirror as its primary optic. At the time, it was one of the largest amateur telescopes in the state. This telescope was installed at the site of the current Mahoning Valley Observatory in Braceville, Ohio. A dedication ceremony was held in September of that year. The MVO is located on St. Rt.534 about 8/10 of a mile north of the Rt. 534 / Rt. 82 intersection. Look for a sign along the road that marks the gravel drive way entrance to the MVO. As you travel down the slope you'll see the MV to your right. Remember: turn your headlights off before you turn onto the observatory grounds!
Nassau Astronomical Station Clay Street Montville Township A plaque at the site of this observatory reads: "This was the site of the Nassau Astronomical Station from 1957 to 2008. It was named in honor of Dr. Jason John Nassau, director of the Warner and Swasey Observatory, Case Western Reserve University, from 1924 to 1959. Under Dr. Nassau's leadership, the Observatory became a great center for research, and a place to share the excitement of astronomy with the general public." The Observatory's central instrument was and remains a 36-inch reflector of Cassegrain design built by the Warner and Swasey Company, Cleveland, in 1957. The Observatory was used for research, public outreach, and was for a time operated remotely via the Internet until a lightning strike destroyed critical components. The facility lay dormant for several years before being acquired in 2008 by the Geauga Park District to become a feature of its Observatory Park. The park is to boast another 36-inch reflector, a Newtonian donated by the estate of Ohio legend Norman Oberle, along with other astronomical and natural history attractions. Observatory Park is expected to open in 2011. The Nassau Astronomical Station and its telescope are to be cleaned and refurbished to become a major component of the park. Photo by James Guilford
Nielsen Observatory 13630 Diagonal Rd. Lagrange The John D. Nielsen Observatory was dedicated on August 11, 2000. Its construction was made possible by the contribution of a 4-inch Unitron refracting telescope and a 14-inch Celestron C-14 telescope by Mrs. Rose Nielsen in memory of her late husband. The observatory was constructed by the Lorain Couonty Metroparks with cooperation through design ideas, advice, labor, and monetary contributions by The Black River Astronomical Society and some 38 other companies and organizations. Public observing at the Nielsen Observatory is offered on a regular basis (see their Web site for schedule). Situated in the Carlisle Reservation of the Lorain County Metro Parks system, the Nielsen Observatory features a unique, two-section slanted slide-off roof. It is handicapped accessible, and has electrical plug-ins, and observing pads to the east and west with rest rooms nearby.
Oberlin College Peters Hall 50 North Professor Street Oberlin, OH 44074-1091 Residing within a 30-foot copper-skinned dome atop Peters Hall is the Oberlin College Observatory, the centerpiece of a burgeoning astronomy program. The original telescope at Oberlin College was a 6 1/8-inch aperture, weight-driven refractor made by the William Gaertner Company of Chicago. The Gaertner telescope was traded for a Celestron 11, about 1991, and moved to Yerkes for refurbishment. Eventually it was presented to a private owner in Colorado. Today the main telescope is a C-14 on a Losmandy GM-200 mount with digital setting circles. Portable scopes, out on an observing deck, include a C-11 on a Tuthill Isostatic mount, and five C-8s. In the works: one 6-inch f/5 Synta ("Skywatcher") refractor on an EQ-6 mount also from Synta, and an SBIG ste digital camera for astro-imaging. On the observing deck are piers for the Synta and the C-8s. The Observatory hosts regular public nights; visit the Observatory's Web site (link above) for their current schedule. The college also boasts Taylor Planetarium which was completed late in 2000. Astronomy students are able to study the stars day or night regardless of the weather. The planetarium is in the tower below the observatory. The Goto projector can represent 650 stars to magnitude 5.5 along with the major planets complimented by a slide projector and a digital projector. CAA Member Mike Williams is a teaching Assistant in the physics department and director of the observatories (solar telescope and the main observatory and observing deck) and planetarium. He also participated in construction of the planetarium facilities. Oberlin College Photo
Perkins Observatory Box 449 Delaware, Ohio 43015 (740) 363-1257 Tom Burns, Director: tlburns@cc.owu.edu Located just 10 miles North of Columbus on State Route 23, Perkins Observatory is owned and operated by the Ohio Wesleyan University. Since its opening in 1923, historic Perkins Observatory has been one of Ohio's premier observatory facilities, located in central Ohio, north of Columbus, and south of Delaware. Perkins had once been home to the famous 69-inch Perkins telescope, which, at the time of its completion in 1931, was the third largest in the world. Due to factors like light pollution and our famous Ohio weather, the Perkins Telescope was moved to Arizona, where it is now a part of the Lowell Observatory. A 32-inch telescope now resides at the Observatory. Perkins is also distinguished for having once published an astronomy magazine called The Telescope. Started in 1932, this magazine merged in 1941 with another called The Sky to become Sky & Telescope, a magazine known and loved by many astronomers today. Perkins Observatory serves over 40,000 guests each year. It is the only place in central Ohio which allows members of the general public to look through a large telescope out into the wonders of the universe.
Ritter Astrophysical Research Center; Brooks Observatory University of Toledo 2801 W. Bancroft St. Toledo, Ohio 43606 (419) 530-2650 Email: ndm@physics.utoledo.edu The Brooks Observatory opened in 1987 at the University of Toledo. The observatory is operated by the Ritter Planetarium and is dedicated to public education. The observatory houses a six-inch Brashear refractor under a twelve-foot Ash dome. The dome is in the center of a 25- by 50-foot observing deck which has an additional four observing peers for smaller semi-portable instruments, including two 10-inch Schmidt Cassegrain telescopes. The entire facility is located on the roof of McMaster Hall. Most evening public planetarium programs are followed by observing at the Brooks Observatory, weather permitting. Depending on the seeing conditions, attendance, and astronomical events, the nightly observing schedule contains one to three objects. Observed objects have included all of the planets, save Pluto, the Moon, comets, binary stars, and dozens of nebulae and galaxies. The Ritter Observatory is a part of the Ritter Astrophysical Research Center, operated by the Department of Physics and Astronomy of The University of Toledo. This facility is used for Astrophysical research, including investigations of the sun, planets, stars, interstellar gas & dust, and galaxies. The telescope at Ritter Observatory telescope is an automated one-meter Ritchey-Chretien reflector used as part of its research and instructional programs, including a Ph.D. program. Ritter reaches out to the public with a planetarium program featuring a Spitz Model A3P planetarium projector in a 40-ft dome. The Ritter Astrophysical Research Center is operated by the Department of Physics and Astronomy of The University of Toledo as part of its research and instructional programs, the latter ranging from a Ph.D. program to public planetarium education. The Center's creation was initiated through a substantial gift by George W. Ritter of Toledo, supported by contributions from several corporations and individuals. The Ritter Astrophysical Center was dedicated in October 1967. The Center is located in Ritter Observatory which houses the Astronomy part of the Department of Physics and Astronomy. In addition to providing offices for both the Astronomy faculty and graduate students, Ritter Observatory also houses a one-meter Ritchey-Chretien reflector and a planetarium featuring a Spitz Model A3P projector in a 40-ft dome. Photo by Erica Hasselbach
Schoonover Observatory Schoonover Park 670 N. Jefferson St. Lima, OH 45801 Email: Web Form The Schoonover Observatory is located in Schoonover Park, Lima, Ohio. The observatory became a reality in 1964 through the vision of the Lima Astronomical Society, the philanthropy of the Thomas R. Schoonover family, and the cooperation of the city of Lima. Club members ground the optics and constructed a 12.5" Newtonian Cassegrain telescope.
Shoup Observatory Email: Web Form In the spring of 2009 Dr Tony Shoup of The Ohio State University at Lima donated his 11 inch Meade RCX400 telescope and roll-off roof observatory building to the Lima Astronomical Society. Through the cooperation of the Johnny Appleseed Metropolitan Park District, The LAS was granted the use of a dark sky site near the Kendrick Woods Metro Park in western Allen county. Photo courtesy Lima Astronomical Society.
Toledo Astronomical Association Pioneer, Ohio Alan White: alanwhite@acsitoledo.com The Association maintains two large scopes under the dark skies of Pioneer Scout Reservation approximately 55 miles west of Toledo, Ohio. The first of these scopes is an f/4 25-inch Dobisonian-mounted Newtonian reflector. This instrument has an electronic drive with "go to" capabilities. The second is equatorial-mounted f/14 12-inch Maksutov-Cassegrain reflector manufactured by J.W. Fecker, Inc. In addition the Association has a portable 12.5" Meade Newtonian reflector that is used at viewing events in the general Toledo, Ohio area.
Warren Rupp Observatory P.O. Box 1118 Mansfield, Ohio 44901 (419) 524-7814 Joe Forster: joef@direcway.com The Warren Rupp Observatory houses one of the largest computer-controlled amateur-operated telescopes of it's type in the world, having a 31-inch diameter fused quartz mirror finished to an incredible 1/12 wavelength. The mirror was handmade in North Royalton, Ohio, and formed the basis for a mammoth backyard telescope. A neighbor's "insecurity" light spoiled viewing, however, and a new home was sought. The mirror is now at the heart of a fine new telescope housed in an impressive observatory building, atop a hill in dark rural countryside. The observatory is open to the public on the first Saturday of each month (weather permitting). The facility is operated by The Richland Astronomical Society and holds it's monthly club meetings prior to the public opening. The Warren Rupp Observatory is situated in the beautiful rolling hills of north central Ohio just southeast of Mansfield, on the grounds of Hidden Hollow Camp about 7 miles east of the intersection of State Route 13 and interstate 71 on O'possum Run Road. The observatory offers special private observing sessions free of charge to any group by appointment, including scout troops, school field trips, churches, private groups and even families. Photo by James Guilford
S. B. P. Observatory Cedarville University 251 N. Main St. Cedarville, OH 45314 (937) 766-7940 Email: flentged@cedarville.edu No information available via the Web; no answer to our query about the observatory. Apparently they do own a "reflecting telescope with a 16-inch mirror." Cedarville University is a Baptist school formerly known as Cedarville College. -- May 2006
Stephens Memorial Observatory Hiram College State Route 82 Physics Department P.O. Box 67 Hiram, OH 44234 (330) 569-5244 Email: astronomer@stephensobservatory.org Lathrop Cooley donated a top-drawer telescope to Hiram College which was installed in the tower of the school's Teachout Library in 1901. In 1939 a fire in the library seriously damaged the building but the magnificent instrument narrowly escaped destruction, only soiled by the smoke. It was removed from the tower to be installed in a new facility. Stephens Memorial Observatory, the gift of Miss Ella Stephens of Cleveland in memory of her parents and brother, was dedicated in 1939. Today the observatory still houses the telescope with a 9-inch John Brashear objective and a Warner and Swasey weight-driven mechanical drive. The dome sheltering the telescope is the original structure that sat atop Teachout Library more than a century ago. In 2006 - 2007 the objective lens, finder telescope, and clock drive were removed, restored, and re-installed making the telescope fully operational and a pleasure to behold. The observatory hosts a regular series of public open nights on a schedule posted on their Web site. Photo by James Guilford.
Swasey Observatory Denison University Granville, Ohio 43023 (740) 587-6223 Email: Daniel C. Homan Perched on a hilltop on the campus of Denison University in Granville, Ohio is a beautiful example of a well-equipped academic observatory from the turn of the twentieth century. Swasey Observatory was, in 1909, the gift of Ambrose Swasey of the Warner and Swasey Company. Built of white Vermont marble, the structure boasts a lovely tiled entry chamber, classrooms (one a former transit/zenith observatory), and a metal spiral stairway leading up to the observing dome. The transit telescope has been uninstalled and its pier removed but is still on display. Several astronomical timepieces are also present though not operating. Under the dome (a modern replacement for the original wood-and-steel structure) is a beautiful nine-inch Warner and Swasey 1910 refracting telescope with Brashier optical components. The drive system has been updated to run via electrical motor but most of the instrument is original equipment. The old telescope is used in astronomy instruction and public outreach. The building has an observing deck where several of the observatory's small modern telescopes may be attached to permanent piers. Click image to see the telescope. Photos by James Guilford
Elgar Weaver Observatory Dr. Dan Fleisch Department of Physics Wittenberg University P.O. Box 720 Springfield, Ohio 45501 Email: dfleisch@mail.wittenberg.edu The observatory, constructed in 1931, was made possible by the generous donations from the Elgar Weaver family of Brookville, Ohio. When the observatory opened, Dr. Hugh G. Harp, professor of Mathematics and Astronomy, became the first Director of Weaver Observatory. The observatory's main attraction by far is the 22' dome that sits upon its roof. Beneath the protective dome is the university's main observational instrument -- a 10-inch refractor. The refractor was placed in the observatory in the spring of 1931; however, the 10-inch objective lens, cast by the Carl Lundin Co., was probably completed up to a year earlier. Efforts are under way to restore and modernize the telescope; however, much effort and concern have been placed on the preservation of the vintage telescope's unaltered history.
Weitkamp Observatory 1 Otterbein College Westerville, Ohio 43081 (614) 823-1516 Email: EWerwa@Otterbein.edu Otterbein College's observatory and planetarium were donated in 1955 by Alfred Henry Weitkamp 1904 in memory of Mary Geeding Weitkamp 1909, and rededicated in honor of both in 1982. The Arch B. Tripler, Jr. Solar Observing Facility was donated in 1990. Facilities include 14- and 8-inch Celestron Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes, a Meade CCD camera and guidance system, and a Spitz planetarium projector. The Observatory is located on the fifth floor of the McFadden-Schear science building at Otterbein College; 155 W. Main St.; Westerville, Ohio. The observatory is operative, but currently under reconstruction. - May 2010
Wilderness Center Observatory The Wilderness Center labama Ave. P.O. Box 202 Wilmot, OH 44689 (877) 359-5235 (Ohio only) (330) 359-5235 (Outside Ohio) Joann Ballbach, Education Director The centerpiece of the observatory at The Wilderness Center is the Dr. Karl W. Keller Telescope. This 16" f/11 Ealing classical Cassegrain telescope has been completely refurbished with new mirror coatings, new bearings donated and installed by the Timken Company, and a computer-controlled drive system. It has been installed in its permanent location in The Wilderness Center's new Astronomy Education Building. The scope was originally purchased in the early 1970s by Dr. Karl Keller of Canton, a prominent local surgeon. Dr. Keller had a life-long love of the stars, and this fine telescope was a logical extension of this interest and was sheltered in the doctor's personal backyard observatory. Upon De. Keller's death in 1990, Elizabeth Keller contacted TWC to inquire about interest in the instrument.