ONU Astronomy Observatory

The ONU Observatory has a mission to educate and inspire the students of Ohio Northern University, as well as the surrounding community, about the exciting and rapidly evolving science of astronomy.

Planning of the ONU Observatory began around 2003, while its construction occurred between March and September, 2010. The observatory is primarily used by ONU students in physics and astronomy classes, faculty, and by the ONU Astronomy Club. However, it is also opened up for public events on a semi-regular basis.

Location

The ONU Observatory is located on the Northwest side of campus (see maps). Parking is located in the Wander Baseball Field lot just off of Lincoln Avenue.

Visiting the Observatory

Before coming to the observatory, check for cancellations on our public events page.
The observatory is wheelchair accessible. We also attach video cameras to some telescopes to allow viewing on our wall-hanging TVs.
There are heated restrooms at the back of the observatory.
Follow good astro-etiquette:
1. don't shine lights in other's eyes or use flash photography
2. try not to push the telescopes
3. try not to touch the lenses of the telescopes or eyepieces
4. ask questions of the observatory helpers, who should be wearing glow lights
You can arrive any time during the scheduled event; there is usually no advantage to being early. (Sometimes there are short presentations but they occur in the middle of the event.)
The observing room gets cold in the winter, so dress warmly!
The observatory has a heated control room (cool in summer) in case you get cold (or hot).
We have an iPhone adapter for taking pictures through the telescopes. We can help you take pictures, depending on how busy.
You can donate to ONU here, or look for a donations jar at the observatory to specifically help the ONU Astronomy Club.

ONU Astronomy Observatory

Mission and Background

Location

Visiting the Observatory

Photo Gallery