The Widener University Observatory is an astronomical

Astronomy

Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...

 observatory

Observatory

An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geology, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed...

 owned and operated by Widener University

Widener University

Widener University is a private, coeducational university located in Chester, Pennsylvania.Its main campus sits on 108 acres , just southwest of Philadelphia...

. It is located in Kirkbride Hall on Widener's main campus in Chester, Pennsylvania

Chester, Pennsylvania

Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States, with a population of 33,972 at the 2010 census. Chester is situated on the Delaware River, between the cities of Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware.- History :...

. The observatory is intended for student use and research within the physics and astronomy department. In addition, public viewing sessions occur throughout the year that are opened to the surrounding community.

The observatory includes a 20.5 foot ASH dome housing a 16" LX200GPS SCT Meade telescope. Four smaller 12" LX200GPS Meade telescopes are used on two observation decks. (See Meade LX200

Meade LX200

The Meade LX200 is a family of commercial telescopes produced by Meade Instruments launched in 1992 with 8″ and 10″ schmidt-cassegrain models on computerized mounts.Rod Mollise - The Past, Present and Future of the Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope , . 12" and 16" models quickly followed...

)