UA News

Thanks to a number of dedicated astronomy volunteers, Flandrau Science Center’s 16-inch telescope, the largest public viewing telescope in Southern Arizona, remains open for public viewing. Due to the volunteers, the observatory will continue to operate despite the announcement earlier in the year that Flandrau Science Center will be closed to the public due to state budget cuts.

In the observatory, you can take your own tour of the heavens with the observatory’s 16-inch telescope, available for free viewing Wednesday through Saturday from 7-10 p.m. all year long. No reservations are needed. It is the only such telescope open on a regular weekly schedule, free to the public, in the state of Arizona. Flandrau’s Cassegrain reflector is the same optical design as professional telescopes on Arizona mountaintops. An expert astronomer or telescope operator is available (weather permitting) to point you toward the best of each month’s sky show and visitors can request different objects to view. In addition to eyepiece views through its main 16-inch telescope, the observatory uses a real-time Hyperstar imaging system on an auxiliary telescope, which is able to reveal details in bright nebulae star clusters and comets.

Before you visit, check out our Skywatchers’ Guide and Observatory News for regular updates on what’s new and exciting to see in the night skies over Tucson. You can also join the conversation and get observation tips on Twitter – username: @UAskywatch.