The Cooley Telescope
The ca. 1901 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, December 2006.
Where are we??
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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!
Public nights at Stephens Memorial Observatory
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The observatory offers public and private group viewing nights. We are continuing work on the schedule and you can find the latest additions below. A printable version of the schedule is also posted. We hope to open on one or two Friday and Saturday nights per month with a couple of different celestial objects picked for observing each night. Winter holds special challenges so we will likely not host many events during that season. Other nights and non-scheduled targets of opportunity will also be offered as special circumstances arise!
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 side streets or in the lot at Harrison's Hideaway Gift Shoppe, 6821 Wakefield Road, just a couple of hundred feet east of the Observatory. 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??
Public Nights Listing, check back for changes!
This schedule is available in Adobe Acrobat format for viewing and printing! Click here.
2008 Schedule.
- Sat. May 10, 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM -- Astronomy Day (and Night). Open house followed by observing.
- Sat. June 21, 9:00 PM - 11:00 PM -- M4 star cluster in Scorpius. Milky Way wonders.
- Sat. July 12, 9:00 PM - 11:00 PM -- The Moon and Jupiter.
- Sat. Aug. 16, 9:00 PM - 11:00 PM -- Jupiter! The giant world and its cloud bands. Deep sky wonders.
- Sat. Sept. 20, 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM -- Andromeda Galaxy.
- Sat. Oct. 11, 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM -- The Moon and the Pleiades star cluster.
- Sat. Nov. 15, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM -- Perseus Double Cluster.
- Sat. Dec. 20, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM -- Orion: The nebula and more.
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.
This site will be the place to check for schedule updates: changes, cancellations, etc.
Recent and not-so-recent history
Observatory director/caretaker James Guilford is responsible for operation of the observatory for student, private, and public viewing sessions.
Contact via email:
Stephens Observatory
The Observatory's telephone number is: (330) 569-5412. Please know that we rarely check voicemail; the phone is used primarily for event annoucements. Emailing will be far better for reaching us!
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Since spring 2006 we have been working to put the observatory building and its telescopes back into good order for use.
The primary instrument of the observatory is the Cooley Telescope, ca. 1901. It is a nine-inch Warner and Swasey refractor graced with John Brashear Co. optics. It is a fine and unique example of turn of the (20th) century astronomical telescope technology being complete as manufactured. The instrument still 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.
The weight-driven mechanical clock drive was removed and has been cleaned and restored by a local expert. The clock was mechanically sound but oil grew old and gunky, holding dirt which can damage gears. The goal of this work was accurate and reliable operation without undue wear to the +100-year-old mechanism. The result is a clock drive that not only runs well but looks beautiful. The work is complete and the drive looks like it just came from a jewelry shop thanks to area tower clock expert Frank Del Greco! Photos and an article will appear on this site. For a "before and after" look at the clock, visit this page.
The telescope's mount was sluggish in its movement. We found that the right ascention brake was jammed preventing easy movement of the telescope. A control linkage is causing us difficulties but we hope to have that issue resolved soon.
The objective lens cell was removed and was taken to the Brashear Division L-3 Communications plant in Pittsburgh, Penn. for examination, cleaning, and adjustment. There was a white, cloudy deposit between the elements that may have affected image quality or even proved damaging to the glass. Brashear is the descendent of the original John Brashear Co. that made the objective in the first place. After a century and several changes in organization and ownership, the business continues today as a respected world leader in telescope optics. The objective is now sparkling clean and, after a review of optical test results and consulting with optical and historical experts, the unit was reassembled with crown glass forward (see our technical page on the lens).
The Brashear-equipped brass finder telescope has been refurbished. The finder's tube had tarnished to an ugly brown/green and its surface was stained, dirty, and pitted. See what it looked like then and now, after restoration; visit this page.
The observatory also owns an orange-tube Celestron 8 SCT dating from about 1980. The 110V electrical supply cord has turned up so now we can see if the telescope's built-in clock drives work (Celestron doesn't stock the cord). The Celestron appears to be in fine shape optically.
We continue to work on cleaning up and fixing up of the observatory building. The office windows have been repaired, door and wood trim painted, and the dome has been painted thanks to the College. We're also pleased to see the new look of the flagstone walkways that lead from the street to our front door. Overgown sod was cut away by groundskeeping staff and it looks like a new walk made in the old style! Overall the grounds look much better and present a much better image in the community. Eventually Hiram College would like to build a new facility on its Barrow Field Station grounds, just a little east of Hiram. We hope the Cooley telescope will be moved there and, hopefully, newer instruments added. The College would welcome a major donor for this project. Until then, Stephens Memorial Observatory is our home and we're delighted to see it improving.
Most recent update:
* This site is privately owned and, while it presents authoritative observatory information,
it is not a publication of Hiram College.