WASHBURN OBSERVATORY CLOSED FOR RENOVATIONS
 
Washburn Observatory, which sits along Observatory Drive on the UW-Madison campus, closed at the end of October 2007 for remodeling and renovations.
The planned updates include an expansion and remodeling of the basement and first floor levels to add office, classroom, and display space.  A new basement-level entrance and elevator will make the basement and first floor accessible to persons with disabilities for the first time, although the telescope dome will remain inaccessible due to the architectural constraints of the building. The completion of renovations and the reopening of the observatory are scheduled for Summer 2009.  

Interim public viewing nights.
Beginning in February 2008 and continuing until the re-opening ot the Washburn Observatory, public telescope viewing will be held on the roof of Sterling Hall at 475 North Charter Street. The Sterling Hall roof will be open for public telescope viewing on the FIRST and THIRD WEDNESDAY of each month, from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm in November through March and from 9 pm to 11 pm in April through October. Please enter Sterling Hall through the EAST entrance (pictured below) on the opposite side of the building from Charter Street and follow the posted signs. You will proceed down the hall to the elevator, and take the elevator to the 6th floor. Upon exiting the elevator, enter the stairwell through the door directly across from the elevator and walk one flight up to the roof.

Weather permitting, celestial objects that are favorably located at the time of observing may be viewed through either the 6”  Sterling rooftop telescope (a smaller version of the Washburn telescope) or one of the 8”  backyard telescopes owned by the Astronomy Department. Objects for viewing include the Moon,  planets, double stars, star clusters, and nebulae.

The Sterling Hall roof will be open for telescope viewing only; there is no lecture or tour. One or two volunteer astronomers will be on duty to anser any questions you might have. You may need to wait in line on the roof to access the telescope, so please dress appropriately. Even if the sky is clear, the Sterling Hall roof may be closed if there is a heavy snowpack.

The Sterling Hall roof is only open to the public on designated Wednesdays. There is no fee, no reservations are needed, and groups are welcome without advance notice. Any age is invited—even young children can enjoy stargazing through a telescope. Unfortunately, Sterling Hall is an old building and the roof is not wheelchair accessible. Please note that observing will never be held on July 4, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, or New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

The UW Space Place will continue to offer public telescope viewing on their rooftop observing deck on the second and fourth Fridays on each month, from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., weather permitting. Additional information is available at http://spaceplace.wisc.edu.

The link to the un-edited observatory homepage is Washburn Observatory.