The Cornell Astronomical Society (CAS) has conducted public viewing nights at Cornell University's Fuertes Observatory for over 50 years. We open the observatory every Friday night during the academic year from 8 PM until midnight, regardless of clouds.
When clear, public viewing takes place through the observatory's telescopes, including the historic 12" Irving Porter Church Refractor. Tours of the historic building, the Irving Porter Church Refractor, and our museum will be given throughout the night, regardless of the weather.
During Cornell winter and summer breaks, check this page to see if we're open. Join our listserv at the bottom of this page for weekly updates on events!
Visit our Hours & Directions page for directions and parking information, and the Open House and Accessibility pages for what to expect when here.
Lectures to the public are given by Cornell astronomy faculty and other researchers several times throughout the semester on Friday nights, prior to the open house. Visit the Lecture Series page for a list of upcoming lectures.
All events hosted by the Cornell Astronomical Society are free and open to the public. If you would like to contribute to programming at the Fuertes Observatory and astronomy outreach at Cornell, you are welcome to leave a donation. Gifts to the Cornell Astronomical Society can be made in-person using the donation box on our front table. If you would prefer to donate by mail, please email us at [email protected] for more information.
Joining the Cornell Astronomical SocietyThe Cornell Astronomical Society is Cornell's astronomy club. All Cornell students, regardless of prior experience or area of study, are welcome to become members of CAS. Visit About the Club for more information.
Organizations and informal large groups may request an educational observing session at Fuertes Observatory conducted by CAS volunteers. These can be arranged on non-Fridays and any night when the observatory is not reserved for introductory astronomy classes. Private sessions are completely free! Scheduling of events is subject to the availability of CAS officers and to the full discretion of the Cornell Department of Astronomy. Send us an email to arrange an event.
Fill out the form below to be added to our email listserv. We generally send out a weekly announcement listing the events at Fuertes for that Friday, as well as notifications about special events on non-Friday nights.
Ignore the "This request is invalid" message if received. Check your email for subscription verification.
Contact [email protected] for assistance.