Due to improvements to the area around the Bell Center for Technology, access to the Friedman Observatory is obstructed. As a result, the Friday evening open houses are canceled until the work is completed, which is estimated to be some time in October. We will update this page when we are able to resume the open houses.
The Friedman Observatory is open to the public each Friday evening at 8:00 p.m., weather permitting. Come to one of our open houses to view the skies using our 16-inch (0.40 meter) Meade Schmidt-Cassegrain LX200 telescope. No reservation is needed.
If you have any questions, email Jon Belanger for more information. Follow our Facebook page to see upcoming Open House events and cancellations.
Weather Conditions
The observatory is open only during clear weather conditions.
The observatory will be closed for:
- poor visibility conditions (no or very few stars visible)
- National Weather Service radar indicates scattered thunderstorms in the
Northeastern Pennsylvania region - poor winter road conditions (e.g., snow, ice, fog)
- significant snow or ice accumulation on or around the
observatory dome - very cold weather (<20 degrees F)
For a prediction of upcoming viewing conditions, see the AccuWeather Stargazing Forecast.
