The BSU Observatory

The observatory has had approximately 3365 visitors since September 14th, 2011.

Thank you to all of our staff and supporters who have helped make this program successful, and a very special thank-you to our visitors! We hope to see you during the summer. Saturn is currently visible throughout the evening.

A breakdown of our events with approximate headcounts is available here.

Public Viewing Events - Summer 2013

The observatory will be open to the public at the following times during Summer 2013.

• June 12 from 9:00 pm - 11:00 pm (with a rain date of the 26th).
• July 10 from 8:30 pm - 10:30 pm (with a rain date of the 24th).
• August 14 from 8:30 pm - 10:30 pm (with a rain date of the 28th).

Please note that rain dates only occur if the previous date in the same month is canceled. Weather sometimes forces scheduled events to be canceled. Check an hour before each viewing session on Facebook, Twitter, or by calling the observatory hotline at 508-531-DARK to confirm whether the event will take place.

Scheduling Private Viewing Events

• No private nights will be scheduled to occur during the Summer (except for official BSU events).
• Private events for groups of 15 or more may be scheduled on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays between September 13, 2013 and December 11, 2013.
• No private nights will be scheduled to occur during Thanksgiving Break (November 27 - December 1 2013).
• Private events must be scheduled two or more weeks in advance.
• Please email jkern@bridgew.edu or call the observatory manager's office at 508-531-2093 to schedule (note: this number is not the same as the observatory hotline).
• The BSU Observatory is located at 24 Park Avenue, Bridgewater, MA 02325 (on the roof of the science building).

During viewing sessions, astronomy experts and enthusiasts are available to show you the wonders of the night skies and answer questions about astronomy. These sessions are free and made possible by the support of BSU's Physics department as well as the Dean's Office, Provost's Office, and the Office of External Affairs.

Additional Information

To ask questions about scheduled viewing nights, please contact Jamie Kern at jkern@bridgew.edu or call the observatory office at 508-531-2093. Weather sometimes forces scheduled events to be canceled. Check an hour before each viewing session on Facebook, Twitter, or by calling the observatory hotline at 508-531-DARK to confirm whether the event will take place. We look forward to seeing you!

For help finding the new Science Building and parking, see the campus map. The new Science Building is number 17 on this map.

To attend an observatory event, park in the West Campus Lot (this lot is directly behind the science building, and used to be called the chapel lot). When you enter the building on the first floor, walk toward the building's center until you see the large, open space called the atrium. You will see a large staircase and two elevators. If you wish to take the elevator (recommended for small children), take the right-hand elevator up to the 5th floor. You are now in the observatory! If you take the stairs, the main staircase only goes up to the 4th floor. At that point, follow the right-hand hallway to a red door that says "to room 500." Take this staircase up to the 5th floor. The observatory is then straight ahead.

Note that the telescope in the dome is intended for research - while we will at some point be able to display a live feed from this telescope, we will not be taking the public into the dome. View our equipment page to see the other telescopes we have.

Workshops for Teachers and K-12 Students

Beginning in Spring 2012, the observatory staff is offering astronomy workshops for teachers and K-12 students. These workshops offer evening learning and exploration activities in astronomy for small groups, and are intended to occur directly before a viewing session. For more information, please contact Jamie Kern at jkern@bridgew.edu.

The new observatory is used for:

• Outreach in the form of public and private viewing sessions.
• Service-learning.
• Astronomy research conducted by BSU students.
• Career development for K-12 teachers.
• Enrichment for K-12 and university students.
• Astrophotography.

Weather Forecasts : Weather Maps : Weather Radar

Last Modified: May 1, 2013

Staff

Dr. Martina Arndt
Professor and Chairwoman of Physics

Ms. Jamie Kern
Observatory Manager and Instructor in Physics
jkern@bridgew.edu

Mr. Joe Doyle
Observatory Curator and Instructor in Earth Science and Physics

Assistant Curators:

• Ms. Jessica Bamford
• Mr. Justin Clark
• Mr. Justin Coffey
• Mr. Joseph Fitzgerald
• Mr. Cory Fornier
• Ms. Marcella Frazier
• Ms. Lea Fuchs
• Mr. Steven Gould
• Mr. Tyler Holloway
• Mr. Alexander Medeiros
• Ms. Kathryn St. Laurent
• Mr. Gregory Tanny
• Mr. Jeffrey Venancio
• Mr. Harry "Tim" Waite

Volunteers:

• Ms. Alexandrea Matthews
• Mr. Thomas Morehouse
• Mr. David Spalding

Contact Info

Conant Science Building
24 Park Avenue
Bridgewater, MA 02325
Office: (508) 531-2093
Hotline: (508) 531-DARK (3275)
jkern@bridgew.edu