KSU/NASA Observatory
Kent State University
Kent, Ohio
(330) 672-2246

Oct. 15, 2021: The KSU/NASA Observatory is temporarily closed for repairs.  Please check this site for updates on resumption of operations. Physics | Kent State University

The Humanist Society of KSU is conducting a crowdfunded campaign to raise the money needed to repair the KSU/NASA Observatory: CLICK HERE TO DONATE

The tradition of public astronomical observing at Kent State University goes back to 1938, when Prof. R. Emmons installed a 13-inch telescope between Rockwell and Franklin Halls. For many years, the physics department operated a 12-inch telescope in an observatory located near the highest elevation on campus, close to the Police Department. That facility was dismantled to make way for a water tower. In November 1997, a new robotic 12-inch telescope was put into service, jointly sponsored and operated for public viewing by the physics department and a NASA-funded project in the College of Education. The KSU/NASA observatory is normally open for public observing on Friday evenings (weather permitting) beginning about one-half hour after sunset and lasting until about 10:30 p.m. The sessions are free and open to all ages. The observatory is staffed by Kent State University physics students who will show you the wonders of the night sky. Check the Web site for instructions on how to find it; call ahead to be certain the observatory will be open.