The James C. Veen Observatory is an
astronomical
Astronomy () is a natural science that studies celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and evolution. Objects of interest include planets, moons, stars, nebulae, galaxies ...
observatory
An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial, marine, or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geophysical, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed. His ...
owned and operated by the
Grand Rapids Amateur Astronomical Association
The Grand Rapids Amateur Astronomical Association (or "GRAAA") is an astronomy group located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It was formed in 1955 by an enthusiastic group of individuals led by businessman James C. Veen, with a love of astronomy and s ...
. Built during the 1960s and opened in 1970, it is located 3.6 miles west-southwest of
Lowell,
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
, United States. Its two domes house the main instruments (a Meade 16-inch LX-200 and a Celestron C-14) and a roll-off structure houses a 17-inch
Dobsonian
A Dobsonian telescope is an altazimuth-mounted Newtonian telescope design popularized by John Dobson in 1965 and credited with vastly increasing the size of telescopes available to amateur astronomers. Dobson's telescopes featured a simplified ...
.
The Grand Rapids Amateur Astronomical Association takes pride in its James C. Veen Observatory near Lowell, Michigan, a multifaceted educational and research facility named after the co-founder and first president of the GRAAA.
The GRAAA hosts public nights at the Veen Observatory, every other Saturday evening from April through November. Members of the GRAAA can be trained for free on the various telescopes, gain key access to the observatory, and can reserve any of the scopes for observation time using the member reservation calendar.
The observatory also a large meeting room, an extensive library, and an audio-visual system for presentations to both GRAAA members and the public. In addition, the grounds of the observatory are open for members to use as an observation site using their own instruments, and walking trails are on site for daytime use by members.
See also
*
List of observatories
This is a list of astronomical observatories ordered by name, along with initial dates of operation (where an accurate date is available) and location. The list also includes a final year of operation for many observatories that are no longer in ...
References
#
Buildings and structures in Kent County, Michigan
Tourist attractions in Kent County, Michigan
Education in Kent County, Michigan
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