NJAA OBSERVATORY
Hours of Operation for 2020.
January & February - Closed.
March 28, April 25, May 23 - 8:30-10:30PM.
June thru October - Saturdays 8:30-10:30PM, Sundays 2:00-5:00PM.
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
Special note: groups of 10 or more must make a reservation request via the "Contact Us" page at least one week in advance of visiting the observatory.
What a visit to our observatory includes:
At 8:30PM on public nights, your visit begins with a welcome by our "Qualified Observers” (QO's) and a brief historical overview of NJAA. This will be followed by a tour of the facility.
On the 4th Saturday from March thru October, there is a guest speaker presentation held at the observatory that begins at 8:30PM and will last approximately one hour. We have seating for approximately 70 people. So be sure to arrive early to ensure a seat. Otherwise it will be standing room only.
After the facilities tour / presentation and depending on the weather conditions, several of our telescopes, including the 26 inch which is the largest public telescope in New Jersey, will be open for observing the night sky.
Should you have questions regarding Astronomy or the purchase & use of amateur telescope equipment, any of the "QO's" on duty, will be most helpful and provide you with the guidance you need.
At 2:00PM on Sunday, your visit begins with a facility tour followed by Solar Viewing through our specially filtered telescopes (weather permitting).
Children are encouraged to visit our Observatory. Note that we do ask that a parent or guardian be present at all times with them.
NJAA is a non-profit volunteer run organization so donations are always appreciated.
NJAA Response to Coronavirus Covid-19
In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, NJAA had postponed our public lecture series until a better understanding of the course of the virus in the region had been reached. In the past five weeks, the state has ordered the cessation of public gatherings and has closed the state parks.
It's hoped that the outbreak will be on the wane within the next few weeks and the state parks will be re-opened in a few months. However, there may be restrictions on important components of our usual public outreach, such as in-door lectures and tours. Consequently, we may be looking at a number of months that we may need to operate in a restricted fashion.
At the present time NJAA is currently:
1. Adapting our lecture series to an on-line group-meeting format, so that attendees can fully participate, without the need to be physically present.
2. Working with the State Park Service to develop protocols that would allow sky-viewing, when the parks re-open. While the danger of transmission remains, these protocols would require maintaining prescribed spacing between attendees. These events are currently conceived as taking place at a nearby open area, where our volunteers can lead sky tours. Although providing telescopes for viewing might be possible, under certain conditions, we must first adapt procedures that will prevent virus transmission and have them approved, before we can do so.
Thank you for your understanding and continued support.
NJAA Board of Governors.