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BSC Observatory

The BSC observatory is used primarily for public and private viewing sessions. At these sessions, astronomy experts and enthusiasts are available to show you the wonders of the night skies, help you learn about our equipment, and answer as many questions as they can. These sessions are free and made possible by the support of BSC's offices of Academic Affairs, External Affairs, Students Affairs, and the Physics and Earth Science departments.

To schedule a private viewing session, please contact Mr. Joe Doyle directly at j6doyle@bridgew.edu. Weather sometimes forces scheduled events to be canceled. Check the Observatory Hotline at (508) 531-DARK an hour before each viewing session.

We look forward to seeing you!

Observatory Schedule for Fall 2009:

Public nights will start at 7:00pm every Wednesday from September 2nd through December 8th (with the exception of November 25th).
Private viewing nights can be scheduled for Tuesdays and Thursdays by emailing Joe Doyle.
No private events will be scheduled during Thanksgiving week, or after December 8th.

Special Observatory Schedule for January 2010 - Mars Opposition!

On January 29th, 2010, Mars will be at opposition. That means it will be the closest distance to Earth that it will be for the next 2 years, and therefore the largest it will appear as well. To take advantage of this event, the Observatory will open to the public at the following times:

6:00 pm each Wednesday in January of 2010.
6:00 pm on Thursday, January 28th
6:00 pm on Friday, January 29th.
6:00 pm on Saturday, January 30th.
6:00 pm on Sunday, January 31st.