History & Features

When the CAAA could no longer financially support the Observatory, ownership of the Observatory was turned over to the Eaton County Parks Department. Public viewing nights are led by local volunteer amateur astronomers who make the beauty of the night sky accessible and share their knowledge with everyone.

The Focus of Events at the Observatory:

  • Hands on observing of the sun, moon, and planets
  • Hands on observing of stars, star clusters, nebulae and galaxies
  • Observations and Discussion of unique sky events (eclipses, planetary oppositions, transits, etc.)
  • Astrophotography with DSLR, CCD and CMOS cameras
  • Educational presentations of the sky and the equipment used to observe and photograph the sky
  • Help, training and information regarding the hobby of amateur astronomy

Features and Equipment

  • 30 Foot by 30 Foot Open Air Observatory
  • 10 Foot by 30 Foot Control Room/Office
  • Meade 16 Inch Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope
  • 2 x Meade 12 Inch Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescopes
  • 10 Inch Dobsonian mounted Newtonian Telescope
  • 5 Inch Refractor Telescope
  • Personal Solar Telescope
  • Various other telescopes, binoculars and equipment provided by our team of volunteersObservatory