Welcome to the Detroit Observatory, where Michigan’s History is Written in the Stars

Upcoming Events

Jun. 8, 2023

Thursday / 7:00 PM

Wolverine Writers II: Stories of Fire, Ice . . . and Rebirth

Jun. 9, 2023

Friday / 8:30 PM

Astronomy Night Open House

Jun. 16, 2023

Friday / 8:30 PM

Astronomy Night Open House

Plan to See
the Stars

On Fridays, the Observatory is open on a walk-in basis from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Thursday and Friday evenings, there are often programs and open houses related to astronomy, the history of the University, and more.

Check our calendar for details! Advanced registration is required for most events.

Keep Exploring

Rediscover the Detroit
Observatory

Take a virtual tour of this newly reimagined, one-of-a-kind place, where the spirit of science and discovery link the past and present.

Fitz Refracting Telescope

When it was installed in 1857, the Fitz telescope was the third-largest refracting telescope in the world. More than 20 asteroids and 3 comets were discovered by astronomers looking through its lens. Today, visitors can still see the stars through this working instrument.

Meridian Circle Telescope

Built in 1854, this telescope’s purpose was measuring with extreme precision the position of stars and other celestial bodies. It was designed for research and as a time-setting tool for business and railroad stations throughout the state. It was the most cutting-edge technology for its time.

Are You Interested in Helping Detroit Observatory Visitors Explore the Sky and Discover the Past?

Would you like to give history tours of the Detroit Observatory or of the University of Michigan campus? Help educate visitors using Observatory exhibits and facilities? Develop and mount exhibits on astronomy, other sciences, the history of U-M, and more?

A docent is a person who acts as an educator and guide at a museum or, in this case, an historic observatory. Their job is to help visitors have the best experience they can.

There are two kinds of docents at the Detroit Observatory: Astronomy Docents, who help with telescope operation and astronomy presentations, and U-M History docents, who help with history tours, presentations, and exhibits. Our docents will receive extensive training relevant to their responsibilities., Prior experience in operating telescopes, giving tours, or understanding U-M history is not necessary.

We do not have docent positions open at this time, but please check back because we expect to do more hiring in the future.

At a Glance

Quick facts about the Detroit Observatory

Moons of Mars

On August 12, 1877, Asaph Hall, Sr., an alumnus of the Detroit Observatory, discovered a moon of Mars known as Deimos while working at the US Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C. Six days later, he discovered Mars’s second moon, Phobos. Before going on to become one of the nation’s leading astronomers, Hall had trained at the Detroit Observatory under Franz Brünnow.

Mary E. Byrd

Mary Byrd graduated from the University of Michigan in 1878. Although she did not study at the Observatory, she went on to become a prominent astronomer and a pioneer in astronomy education. For nearly twenty years, Byrd directed the observatory at Smith College. In this same time period, she published two widely used astronomy textbooks. In protest of the institution’s acceptance of donations from Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller, she resigned from Smith College in 1907.

Dome rotation

The Observatory dome originally ran on five cannonballs that rolled freely in a circular groove. Because nothing maintained the distance between the cannonballs, they would eventually clump together toward one side, making rotation impossible. When this happened, timbers were inserted into slots in the dome, the dome was “jacked up,” and the cannonballs redistributed. In 1890, the system was replaced with railroad-style wheels running on a track, as can be seen today.

Fitz lens cell

The Fitz refractor’s objective lens (the lens at the large end of the telescope) is known as a doublet achromatic lens. It consists of two lenses, one concave and one convex. This combination of lenses helps to reduce the image distortions caused by the fact that light of different colors come into focus at different points; the concave lens corrects for these distortions made by the convex lens.

Director’s Residence

In 1868, a residence for the director and his family was built to the east of the Observatory. The residence was enlarged and updated in 1905. Beginning with James Craig Watson, seven directors and their families lived in the residence. In 1942, it became a residence for women students, in 1946, it was converted to apartments for faculty, and in 1954 it was torn down to make room for the expansion of Couzens Hall.

Before Apollo

This image of the moon is from 1932, taken by amateur astronomers Charles and Robert McMath, who were formally affiliated with the University’s Observatory. Their movie of the moon was produced for public use by British Pathé Pictures, who claimed, “The moon appears exactly as it would were you speeding through space at 1,000 miles a minute – 300 miles above its airless and lifeless surface.” This movie, which can be found at https://youtu.be/PwGm4mIxiPg, helped the public understand the dynamic atmosphere of the sun.

Central telescope pier

The Observatory’s larger of two telescopes stands on a central pier, designed to minimize vibrations. The pier, constructed of solid brick masonry, is submerged 15 feet below grade, rises to the dome 40 feet above ground level, and is 20 feet in diameter at its base. It is isolated from the ground and dome floors by a 1-inch gap.

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2 weeks ago
Detroit Observatory

This Thursday, we will be hosting the next installment of the Bentley Historical Library's Making Michigan lecture series — Poets at Michigan: Then and Now. ✏️📚 🔎 For this lecture, Cody Walker, the director of Undergraduate Program in Creative Writing, will walk attendees through the University of Michigan's rich history of poetry — spanning from 20th century poets such as Robert Frost to contemporary poets such as Victoria Chang. We hope to see you there!

This event has both in-person and virtual options.
In-person registration can be found here: myumi.ch/qG9D4
Virtual registration can be found here: myumi.ch/p7jG5
... See MoreSee Less

This Thursday, we will be hosting the next installment of the Bentley Historical Librarys Making Michigan lecture series — Poets at Michigan: Then and Now. ✏️📚 🔎 For this lecture, Cody Walker, the director of Undergraduate Program in Creative Writing, will walk attendees through the University of Michigans rich history of poetry — spanning from 20th century poets such as Robert Frost to contemporary poets such as Victoria Chang. We hope to see you there!

This event has both in-person and virtual options.
In-person registration can be found here: https://myumi.ch/qG9D4
Virtual registration can be found here: https://myumi.ch/p7jG5
3 weeks ago
Detroit Observatory

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3 weeks ago
Detroit Observatory

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