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.
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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 nor do we have restroom facilities.
Interested in the Moon and what you can see from Hiram's Observatory?
Click here and check out our new {simplified} lunar map!
(You will need Adobe Reader installed to open this file.)
This
schedule is available in Adobe Acrobat format for
viewing and printing!
2012
Schedule of Public Nights.
Saturday, May 19, 9:00 - 11:00 PM -- Two of our most popular planets grace the skies over Hiram this night: Saturn and Mars! We will take a good, long look at Saturn whose grand ring system is now conveniently tilted towards us for better viewing! Mars, while well positioned in the southern sky, is growing more distant as the days pass; don't expect much from the Red Planet. Of course all of this depends upon sky conditions for while our great century-old telescope can see through trillions of miles of space, it can't see through clouds!
~ ~ ~
May 20 Solar Eclipse Notes: The Observtory will NOT be open -- trees block our view of the western sky. This eclipse is known as "annular" because the Moon will not entirely cover the Sun's disk, even in areas blessed with the best views. Rather, a "ring of fire," a brilliant circle of Sun will show in areas of greatest eclipse. For us in Northeastern Ohio, the dark edge of the Moon will begin obscuring the solar disk at around 8:24 PM Sunday evening; there will be only a partial eclipse of the Sun -- most of the Sun will remain uncovered -- at sunset. Since clear skies are expected, the sunset may be very interesting. BE CAREFUL: The Sun will continue to deliver nearly its full power as the eclipse begins -- do not view the sun through unfiltered telescopes or binoculars as permanent eye damage is nearly certain. For safe viewing tips see this link:
http://www.space.com/15614-sun-observing-safety-tips-infographic.html
or
http://www.perkins-observatory.org/eclipsesafety.html
~ ~ ~
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. For updated status of Open Nights, please see the Twitter feed in the left-hand column of this page or find us at: www.twitter.com/StephensObs
PARKING: Please park in the lot at Harrison’s Hideaway Convenience Store, 6821 Wakefield Road, just a couple of hundred feet east of the Observatory, or 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 dehumidifier in the Observatory office. Not glamorous but without
it the walls would become wet and mold and mildew would take over!
Fortunately the raised, ventilated floor beneath the telescope protects
it from ground moisture!
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
Reach us via email (above) or follow StephensObs on Twitter for quick updates! Postal address is: Stephens Observatory; Physics Department; 116 Gerstacker Hall; Hiram College; PO Box 67; Hiram, OH 44234-0067. Physics Department Phone: (330) 569-5264 (not answered at night).
| 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: 5/19/2012
*
This site is privately owned and, while it presents authoritative
observatory information,
it is not a publication of Hiram College.