Maryland Space Grant Observatory
Observatory Status
Friday, September 29
Weather permitting, we will be open the evening of Friday, September 29. Please check that day for updates.
Observatory Open Houses are generally held on Friday evenings, weather permitting, starting typically an hour or so after sunset. Opening and closing times vary with the seasons, weather and other factors. Checking this webpage after 4 p.m. the day of a tentative event is the best way to be informed. Open Houses are free and open to the public.
Fall 2023 Update: Saturn is back in the evening sky and will soon be rejoined by Jupiter! We plan to be open most Fridays from now through December, except when the weather is uncooperative and the following specific dates when we will be closed: 11/24, 12/22, and 12/29. Final decisions will be announced on this website as early as possible on the day of the event. Conditions permitting, we will sometimes set up one of our cameras and do some imaging of deep sky objects such as star clusters, nebulae and nearby galaxies. Some of the images so acquired are available here.
Click here for directions for Observatory Open Houses. When trying to enter the Bloomberg Center for Physics and Astronomy in the evening, some doors will be locked. The best approach is to walk clockwise around the building toward the courtyard on the campus side, and if necessary wait there until someone can let you in. Once you’re in the building, you can take the main elevator to the 4th floor and use the stairs next to it to climb the rest of the way to the roof.
The Morris W. Offit Telescope is the major observing instrument located under the Stanley D. and Joan F. Greenblatt Dome, on the roof of the Bloomberg Center.