Physics and Astronomy

Astronomy at UMSL

 

Welcome to the University of Missouri-St. Louis Observatory

Observatory

Welcome to the UMSL Schwartz Observatory Web Site. Located on the campus of UMSL, the observatory is used for astronomical research and for public education. It houses a 16" Meade LX200 telescope and two portable 8" Celestron telescopes.  The telescope can be used for imaging or spectroscopy with an SBIG ST-8 CCD camera.


Public Astronomy at UMSL

Sponsored in part by the NASA Space Grant Consortium 

Here at UMSL, we have an active public outreach program at our observatory and the planetarium.  From February through November each year, we host open houses. During these popular events, the public is invited to visit the observatory where a student or volunteer will point the telescope at various objects of interest, point out constellations, and answer general astronomy questions. For our current schedule, please see the link below.

2013 Open House Schedule

The Observatory phone number is 314-516-5706. This number has a message describing the next open house. After 6 p.m. on scheduled open house days, the message will be changed if there is a cancellation due to weather.

If you have a large group (30 or more), a special open house may be scheduled for your group. Contact the Physics Department at 314-516-5931 and they will point you to the right person.

Directions to the Schwartz Observatory