Friday, February 3, 2023, 8-10 p.m.
Cloud Backup Date
Saturday February 4, 2023, 8-10 p.m.
Free and open to the public.
Open House at Oakley Observatory
Heavenly Images from Oakley Observatory
M83, the Thousand-ruby galaxy
Galaxy NGC 4945 and Zeta Centauri.
Time-lapsed image of night sky
Carina Nebula
Galaxy NGC 3621 in the Hydra constellation.
Star trails through the night sky
Venus
"Man must rise above the Earth—to the top of the atmosphere and beyond—for only thus will he fully understand the world in which he lives"
Our Mission
Founded in 2000 through a grant from the Oakley Foundation, the observatory features a wide variety of telescopes and other equipment necessary for the study of the night sky.
The mission of the Oakley Observatory is to enrich student education through hands-on experience in astronomy and to serve as an astronomical resource for the local community.
We believe people have a natural curiosity about the world, a particular interest in astronomical events and an awe of the beauty and majesty of the universe. This is certainly true of Rose-Hulman students. The Oakley Observatory is here to let our students pursue their interests and curiosities.
The Oakley Observatory at Rose-Hulman serves
- Students enrolled in our astronomy and directed research courses.
- The Rose-Hulman Astronomical Society, which consists of students from all majors who are interested in astronomy.
- The faculty and staff of Rose-Hulman and residents of Wabash valley who have an interest in astronomy.
We regularly host star parties for the local community. We also host classes from local schools.
Oakley Extras!
Check out our Oakley Observatory Clear Sky Chart!
For a current astronomer's forecast, follow the link below. This chart shows when it will be cloudy or clear for up to two days. This is important information if you're hoping to look through a telescope!
Oakley Basics
- IAU Observatory Code: 916
- Latitude: 39° 29° 2° North
- Longitude: 87° 18° 59° West
- Elevation: 178 m
Oakley Webcam
We have a live web camera feed from inside the Oakley Observatory, which can be viewed by entering the login name of "public" and the password "Observatory" (case sensitive).