Standeford Observatory

Standeford Observatory — the smaller of the two campus observatories -- is home to a variety of telescopes. These instruments are used primarily for visual observations of the sky by MSU students and other observatory visitors. Standeford Observatory is staffed by undergraduate student observing assistants under the supervision of astronomy faculty members.

Location

Standeford Observatory is located at the far south end of the campus, adjacent to the Ropes Course and about 150 yards west of Andreas Observatory. It can be reached by walking through the gate at the end of Lot 1 and following the gravel road south for about 400 yards.

Coordinates of Standeford Observatory:

Longitude: 93^o 59' 53" West
Latitude: 44^o 08' 19" North
Elevation: 990 feet

Telescopes

14" Meade

Inside the 3-meter Observa-DOME is the principal telescope at Standeford Observatory -- a 14" Meade LX200 (a 14-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain). This computerized telescope stores the coordinates of over 140,000 celestial objects in its memory. Currently, the 14" is inoperable awaiting updated processing for automated pointing.

Additional Telescopes

The other telescopes at Standeford Observatory are used outside the dome, on the concrete pad. Most are Newtonians with Dobsonian mounts; all are mounted on rolling platforms for easy positioning around the pad.

The current roster of 'outside' telescopes includes the following:

12-inch Zhumell: Newtonian, Dobsonian mount
10-inch Zhumell: Newtonian, Dobsonian mount
10-inch Orion SkyQuest XT10: Newtonian, Dobsonian mount
11-inch Celestron: Schmidt-Cassegrain, Alt-Az fork mount
10-inch Odyssey: Newtonian, Dobsonian mount
10-inch Meade DS-10A: Newtonian, Equatorial mount on pedestal
13-inch Odyssey: Newtonian, Dobsonian mount
10-inch Orion Deep Space Explorer: Newtonian, Dobsonian mount
8-inch Dynascope: Newtonian, Equatorial mount on pedestal
5.5-inch Celestron Comet Catcher: Schmidt-Newtonian, Alt-Az mount on tripod

Operation

Hours

Standeford Observatory is open regularly during the fall and spring observing seasons, and is used primarily by students in astronomy and related classes.

Hours and days of operation vary with the season, the weather, and demand. In Fall 2022, the observatory will be open for observations to students and the public on clear nights between 9-11PM until 22 November

Visitors

Visitors are welcome any time the observatory is open. Students may bring friends who are not taking astronomy classes.

Visitors may call the observatory directly at (507) 389-6208 during evening hours to determine whether it is open. Additionally, a sign on the gate at the south end of Lot 1 will indicate whether Standeford Observatory is open to the public.

Public Viewing

Special public viewing events at Standeford Observatory are held occasionally during the year, sometimes in conjunction with Andreas Observatory. Targets of these special events in the past have included Comet Hale-Bopp, Comet Hyakutake, Comet Halley, lunar eclipses, solar eclipses, various planets, and the Moon. Announcements of special observing events will be made through the local news media and on these web pages.

Standeford Observatory is also open regularly to the public every Thursday evening during the fall and spring observing seasons.

Sky Conditions at Standeford Observatory

Parking

Traditionally, visitors were able to park at the South End of Lot #2 but this lot has been transformed into pay parking, so parking here may result in a ticket. To ensure no ticket, please park in the Gold Lot #7 next to Blakeslee Stadium. There will be an approximately 10 minute walk to the observatory from there.

A sign on the gate at the south end of Lot 1 will indicate whether Standeford Observatory is open to the public.