Visit the Holt & Miller Observatory for a bit of stargazing on the rooftop! Our instruments, including the 10-inch Zeiss refractor and four Celestron CPC 800 GPS Computerized Telescopes, and 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain models, provide views of most planets and bright stars, several star clusters and nebulae, and a few galaxies. On a clear day, you may be able to see sun flares and spots, and at times, the moon!
Open daily (weather permitting), the Holt & Miller Observatory is operated and maintained by The Franklin Institute's Chief Astronomer Derrick Pitts and staffed by a staff of knowledgeable volunteers. It is one of a handful of observatories in the country to provide optically-safe, real-time, direct observation of solar activity such as flares and prominences.
Things to Do and See at the Observatory
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Stargaze with 10-inch Zeiss Refractor Telescope
Planets, stars, star clusters, nebulae, and a even few galaxies await!
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Visit the nearest star—Our Sun
See what real sunspots and flares look like without the need for shades!
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Travel through our Solar System
Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, and Venus are often stops on this interplanetary tour!