Observatory at College Camp

The SUNY Oneonta Observatory is located at College Camp on the northeastern side of campus in Oneonta, New York.

The Observatory is home to the largest optical telescope in the state of New York, a computerized f/4 Newtonian reflector with a 1-meter (40-inch) primary mirror. The telescope, designated the NTT-40, was constructed by JMI Telescopes of Lakewood, Colorado; technical information can be found at the JMI NTT-40 webpage. In addition, we have two observatory domes housing 16-inch and 14-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes, and several smaller Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes. The observatory is equipped with a variety of eyepieces, several electronic CCD cameras, an adaptive optics unit and a spectrograph.

The observatory is used in our upper-level astronomy courses, including Astronomy 2700 (Our Solar System), Astronomy 2710 (Stars and Galaxies), and Astronomy 3600 (Observational Methods). Students taking the Astronomy Minor also have the opportunity to complete independent research projects using these telescopes. Occasional public viewing nights are offered throughout the school year where people can view astronomical objects such as planets, star clusters, planetary nebulae and galaxies.