The William Miller Sperry Observatory, also known simply as the Sperry 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 by Union County College and operated by Amateur Astronomers, Incorporated. The observatory is located on the property of

Union County College Union College (formerly Union County College) is a public community college in Union County, New Jersey. It was founded in 1933 as the first of New Jersey's public community colleges. The college has four campuses: Cranford, Elizabeth, Plainfie ...

on their

Cranford, New Jersey Cranford is a township in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, located southwest of Manhattan. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 23,847, an increase of 1,222 (+5.4%) from the 2010 census count ...

campus. It was named after

William Miller Sperry William Miller Sperry (1858–1927) is the namesake of the William Miller Sperry Observatory in Cranford, New Jersey. According to his sworn passport application, he was born on September 14, 1858, in Bristol, Tennessee. He moved to Cranford in 1898 ...

and dedicated in 1967. Mrs. Carrie Regina Beinecke and her son,

William Sperry Beinecke William Sperry Beinecke (May 22, 1914 – April 8, 2018) was an American philanthropist and businessman. Career and philanthropy Beinecke studied at Westminster School, Pingry School, graduated from Yale University in 1936 and Columbia Law Sc ...

, made a $150,000 donation to what was then the Union County Junior College. The donation was used to build Sperry Observatory, which was dedicated on May 21, 1967 in honor of

, Mrs. Beinecke's father. Harvard astronomer

Harlow Shapley Harlow Shapley (November 2, 1885 – October 20, 1972) was an American scientist, head of the Harvard College Observatory (1921–1952), and political activist during the latter New Deal and Fair Deal. Shapley used Cepheid variable stars to estim ...

was the keynote speaker at the 1967 dedication.Roy W. Smith. A Union Made in Heaven: A History of Amateur Astronomers, Inc., 1949-1999 (University of Michigan 1999) (218 pages) Sperry Observatory has been operated since its dedication by Amateur Astronomers, Inc. The observatory houses two of the largest telescopes on the East Coast open to the public on a weekly basis. The East Dome holds a 10-inch f/15 refractor built by AAI members and donated to the college in November 1972. The West Dome has a 24-inch f/11 Cassegrain reflector purchased and owned by AAI, and installed in October 1974.

References

Astronomical observatories in New Jersey Buildings and structures in Union County, New Jersey Tourist attractions in Union County, New Jersey Cranford, New Jersey {{US-observatory-stub

See also

References