Observatory At Union College Finally Reopens After Pandemic Shutdown

UNION COUNTY, NJ — After having closed during the pandemic in 2020, William Miller Sperry Observatory on the Cranford Campus of Union College has officially reopened.

In a new partnership with the college, the club — founded in 1949 — will continue to offer free public nights every Friday on the campus, using two of the largest telescopes for public use in the northeast.

The observatory is operated by Amateur Astronomers Inc. (AAI). Aaron Zuckerman, the president of AAI, welcomed the reopening after two years of Zoom meetings and presentations, which maintained many of the club's regular activities for its members and the public.

"We are delighted to be able to restore the dynamic of personal contact and popular service to the college students and Union County community at this scientific treasure on campus," Zuckerman said.

AAI also conducts frequent programs at both Turtle Back Zoo and Trailside Nature and Science Center, as well as informal lectures that are offered every Friday night at 8:30 p.m. Public viewing begins at 7 p.m.

On every third Friday of the month, September through April, the club presents lectures by professional astronomers. Speakers have included Mario Livio from the Hubble Telescope, Jeffrey Kluger, TIME editor and co-author of APOLLO 13, and faculty or researchers from nearby Princeton, Columbia and Rutgers universities.

Members of AAI include astrophotographers and spectroscopers producing research-level work, on which they tutor interested members.

You can check out the AAI website (www.asterism.org) for more information.

"Saturn, Jupiter and Mars are overhead this fall," Zuckerman said, "making for a spectacular star gazing season. Welcome back to the domes!"

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