The Cooley Telescope
The
ca. 1900 Warner and Swasey telescope
includes a nine-inch objective made by
John Brashear, one of the great opticians
of his day. The observatory dome is believed
to be the original structure that sat atop
Teachout Library, dating to 1900.
Photo by James Guilford, September 2008.
Where are we?? (Google Maps)
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Stephens Memorial Observatory
Welcome to the online home of the Stephens Memorial Observatory. The observatory is a part of the Physics Department of Hiram College* in Hiram, Ohio. The observatory's current mission is historic preservation, astronomy education, and public outreach.
Want
to visit? Check our schedule below for open observing
nights!
Contact
information
Public
nights at Stephens Memorial Observatory
The observatory offers public and private group viewing nights. See the schedule listing below. A printable version of the schedule is also posted. We usually have one scheduled open night per month with a couple of different celestial objects picked for observing each night. Other nights and non-scheduled targets of opportunity will also be offered as circumstances arise! We have, for example, opened for an unexpected cometary apparition (Comet 17P/Holmes in 2007). Check here regularly for announcements.
Public nights are conducted in "open house" fashion and attendance is free of charge. Visitors may come and go during the course of the evening though occasional special programming may require arrival at a specific time.
Attendees are asked to park on permitted side streets. Nearby Peckham Avenue is posted "No Parking" -- you may be ticketed! There is no parking at the Observatory. DO NOT drive into or park in neighboring driveways: it's inconsiderate and violators may be towed! Where are we??
NOTE: Due to the age of our facilities, the Observatory is not handicap accessible.
Public
Nights Listing, check back for changes!
This schedule is available in Adobe Acrobat format for
viewing and printing!
Click
here for the 2010 Schedule of Public Nights.
2010 Schedule
~~September 2010 ~~
Saturday, September 18, 9:00 to 11:00 PM:
Our closest neighbor in space, Earth's own Moon, will be the "star" as
we participate in the 2010 International Observe the Moon Night. Gas
giant Jupiter returns to our skies during the second half our our event!
Still without its southern
cloud band, Jupiter will make a memorable appearance.
Let's hope for clear skies... please!
Note: There will be no viewing and the Observatory will not open in the event of overcast skies or inclement weather conditions occurring at the scheduled starting time.
PARKING: Please park in the lot at Harrison’s Hideaway Gift Shoppe, 6821 Wakefield Road, just a couple of hundred feet east of the Observatory. You may also park on side streets where parking is allowed. Nearby Peckham Avenue is posted "No Parking" so don't park there! There is no parking at the Observatory. DO NOT drive into or park in neighboring driveways -- it’s inconsiderate and you may be towed!
This site will be the place to check for schedule updates: changes, cancellations, etc.
Recent and not-so-recent history
The primary instrument of the observatory is the Cooley Telescope. It is a nine-inch Warner and Swasey refractor graced with John Brashear Co. optics. Dedicated at Hiram College in 1901, it is a fine and unique example of turn of the (20th) century astronomical telescope technology being complete as manufactured. Our instrument contains and employs its original optical and drive components made by leading manufacturers of the time. Despite its age the Cooley's optics are excellent and provide impressive views of solar system and deep-sky wonders. Continued use of this instrument in astronomy is its highest and best purpose.Visit our Historical Gallery. Photos
dating back a century include views of the original Hiram observatory
and the man who donated our telescope to the school.
At Stephens restoration, maintenance, and improvement are ongoing. The latest? New lighting has been installed inside our dome making life a little easier when we're setting up for observing or closing down after a session.
Observatory director/curator James Guilford is responsible for operation of the observatory for student, private, and public viewing sessions. Since spring, 2006, he has been working to preserve and enhance the observatory and visitor experiences there.
Contact
via email:
Stephens Observatory
The Observatory's telephone number is: (330) 569-5412. We rarely check voicemail; the phone is used primarily for event announcements. Emailing will be far better for reaching us!
| A
change of scenery?
Hiram College would like to build a new astronomy facility to allow for unobstructed views of the sky and support expanded programming for students and the community. The Cooley telescope would be moved there and modern instruments added. The College would welcome a major donor for this project -- contact us if you can help! Until then, Stephens Memorial Observatory is our home and we're delighted to see it improving. Want to help? Financial gifts can be made to the Observatory by making a check payable to “Hiram College” with a note in the memo line indicating support for Observatory operations or programming. Operations will cover maintenance and general expenses. Donations made towards construction of a new astronomical facility will be gratefully accepted; please mark any checks accordingly. Checks payable to Hiram College (no cash, please) may be delivered to the astronomer in charge at any of our public nights or mailed to us at: Observatory Donations |
Most
recent update: 8/31
*
This site is privately owned and, while it presents authoritative
observatory information,
it is not a publication of Hiram College.