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Public Observing

The Department of Physics and Astronomy offers free viewing through their campus astronomical telescopes to all Dartmouth students and to the public. The public viewing nights are usually offered only during the school terms. Observing of the Moon, planets and stars is available on Friday nights.

Shattuck Observatory is the oldest scientific building on campus. Many astronomy classes use the observatory. For research Dartmouth owns a share of the largest telescope in the Southern Hemisphere, the 11-meter Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), as well as the MDM Observatory, consisting of 1.3 and 2.4 meter telescopes, on Kitt Peak in Arizona.

NOTE: Public observing (which occurs in the rightmost white building in the image above) is only possible under good weather conditions meaning mostly clear skies with little chance of rain or snow. If the weather is questionable, call (603) 646-9100 and select option 2 to find out the current status of an observing session. Selecting option 1 will give dates and times for the current term.

Current Schedule

Friday nights: 9:00 PM to 11:00 PM -- March 29 through May 24
To find out if a session is on for a given Friday, please call 646-9100.

Directions

Traveling along East Wheelock Street toward the Dartmouth Green, take the first right after Alumni Gym (on left) onto Observatory Road.

Traveling along West Wheelock Street toward the Dartmouth Green, take the second left after the Hanover Inn onto Observatory Road.

From either direction: Once on Observatory Road, go up the hill and through one intersection. The Observatory is on the right as you reach the top of the hill.

Click here for a map. Public observing uses the North Telescope.

Parking

You may park anywhere in the nearby parking lots during observing hours. Please do not park in the small dirt lot just behind the Observatory.