Observatory
The Observatory will be open on November 7 and 21, from 8:00pm - 10:00pm. If it is clear, we will take out telescopes and look at some beautiful astronomical objects. We also give a tour of the facility, which includes the one-tenth scale model of the Hale Telescope at Mt. Palomar and images that we have taken with the telescopes on campus.
The Observatory will be open the first and third Fridays of the month for the fall: September 5 and 19, October 3 (Kids' Night), November 7 and 21, and December 5 and 19. Please note the observatory will not be open on Friday, October 17. No prior reservations are required, but if you have a group of greater than 10 people that you would like to bring to the observatory, call 607-962-9494 and leave a message with a phone number so we can return your call.
Parking for the Observatory is available in the Digital Dome parking lot. Parking at the Observatory is reserved for our visitors who require accessible parking. All of our events are free and open to the public!
If you are interested in attending a Digital Dome Show, please check out their link here.
EVENTS
The Vera Rubin Observatory: Mapping the Changing Universe
Talk given by Dr. Aaron Steinhauer, Professor of Physics and Astronomy, SUNY Geneseo
November 7, 2025
7:30pm at the Eileen Collins Observatory
Our next meeting of the Elmira-Corning Astronomical Society will feature a talk given by Dr. Aaron Steinhauer on the Vera Rubin Observatory. The Vera Rubin Observatory achieved first light over the summer and is expected to begin full science operations before the end of the year. Dr. Steinhauer will give an overview of the unique design and technical capabilities of the observatory and highlight some of the amazing ways in which it will change the field of temporal astronomy. The meeting is free and open to the public. Please park in the lower lot (near the Digital Dome) as parking near the Observatory is reserved for those needed special accommodations.
TELESCOPES
We have many types and sizes of telescopes here at our Observatory. Our two largest telescopes are both reflectors — the 20" and the 16". Our 20" telescope is the one-tenth scale model of the Hale Telescope at Mount Palomar in California.
We have 14", 12", 10", 8", and 6" reflectors that were built by members of the Elmira-Corning Astronomical Society. We have 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain reflectors in addition to 4" refractors and a solar telescope.
Everything at the observatory is free and open to the public! Please note that most of our time is spent outside, if the weather is clear. So please dress for the weather!
Parking is available in the Planetarium parking lot. The only parking at the Observatory is reserved for our visitors requiring accessible parking.
Questions?
Deborah Dann, Director of the Observatory