Observatories
Explore the Skies at the Chabot Observatories
EVENING VIEWING | DAYTIME VIEWING
SOLAR VIEWING | ABOUT OUR TELESCOPES
Chabot’s giant, historic telescopes offer a unique way to experience the awe and wonder of the Universe. Check out celestial viewing day and night. Our observatory deck offers breathtaking views 1,500 feet above the Bay.
Don’t Miss: A View to the Stars exhibition inside the telescope domes.
The observatories at Chabot Space & Science Center are located 37.819 degrees North latitude and 122.182 degrees West longitude.
- Visit our interactive Sky Calendar for day-by-day tips on what to look for in the sky.
- Visit the Weather Station to view the current conditions.
PLEASE NOTE:
The telescopes will be closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Years Eve.
Asteroid 2005 YU55
On Tuesday, November 8, 2011, a 1300-ft wide asteroid streaked past the Earth at 30,000 miles per hour. The asteroid, called 205 YU55, came closer to the Earth than the Moon. At its closest, the asteroid was about 202,000 miles away from the Earth. The distance from the Earth to the Moon is about 240,000 miles. This video is a sequence of 4 images together showing the motion of the asteroid against the background of stars. Chabot astronomers track hundreds of these so-called Near Earth Objects (NEOs) to calculate their orbits to determine if the object could impact the Earth. There are millions more NEOs that are yet to be discovered and tracked.
Evening Viewing
Experience spectacular night sky viewing. It’s the best kept secret in the Bay Area. See the magnificence of our telescopes in action!
Regular hours are every Friday & Saturday evening, weather and special events permitting:
- 7:30pm - 10:30pm (during the summer months, telescopes open once the skies are dark)
- Use the outside gate around the back of the Center. Follow the signs to the observatory entrance gate.
General Admission guests are welcome to access the telescopes through our Astronomy Hall with in and out privileges.
Daytime Viewing
During your visit on Saturday and Sunday afternoons our volunteers on the observatory deck will have special telescopes out to view the Sun, Moon, or Venus. Free with General Admission, weather permitting, of course!
- Staffed observatory hours: 12pm - 5pm
- Observing hours: 1pm - 4pm
Solar Viewing
At Chabot, when the Sun's up, the Sun comes out! With a spectrum of solar viewing aids, including Sun-watching scopes and filters as well as near-live satellite images and movies, explore the many faces of Earth's star. Sunspots, prominences, flares, and coronal mass ejections are all living solar events that you may witness personally. Chabot volunteers and staff will guide you through your personal solar experience, helping to give you a new appreciation of the power, the magnitude, and the sheer beauty of the Sun. Come and see... safely...
Hours
Beginning Wednesday, June 1
Wed - Fri: 12pm - 3pm
Sat - Sun: 1pm - 5pm
Beginning Tuesday, June 21 - September 4
Tue - Fri: 12pm - 3pm
Sat - Sun: 1pm - 5pm
About Chabot’s Telescopes
Chabot boasts three telescopes on its observatory deck. Nellie, Chabot‘s youngest and most powerful, is housed in a rolling roof observatory, allowing access to 180 degrees of sky. This modern, research-quality telescope offers breathtaking views of the cosmos.
The impressive 20" telescope, named Rachel, is the largest refractor in the western United States regularly open to the public. Its companion, the 8" Alvan Clark refractor, named Leah, is the original 1883 instrument donated by founder Anthony Chabot.
Check out our ObservatoryCam