MIT Wallace Astrophysical Observatory

10/10/2024

Another possible night of auroras for 10-10-24!

A couple tips on seeing it:
Turn off your lights and ask your neighbor to do the same.
If you are going to drive, head generally north. West may also provide some relief from light polluted areas near 495.

Can't see it? If it's happening, our allsky camera should pick it up. Head to our website: https://web.mit.edu/wallace/ then click the oval image on the left for live images. --> Clear skies! 🪐

The night sky magnitude represents how bright our sky is directly overhead.  To see the Milky Way, this number must be > than 20.2.   

09/23/2024

Want to know more about what we do at Westford's friendly neighborhood observatory? We'll be giving a presentation at Westford's Fletcher Library on October 24th on the important science and education we provide at Wallace, as well as how area residents can help us continue our important work by minimizing light pollution.
Sign up here: https://westfordlibrary.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/mit-s-wallace-astrophysical-observatory-informational-program/

Our night sky is in crisis as the fastest growing environmental problem, light pollution, turns night into day. Tim will be speaking to us about a path forward in restoring darkness to our nighttime environment. He recently completed a case study of an LED streetlight retrofit in Pepperell, MA, wher...

08/12/2024

Last night after we left the observatory (rain!), apparently it cleared up and the aurora happened again...

08/02/2024

***SOLD OUT - Perseids meteor shower tour Sunday the 11th. We'd like to start with inviting our surrounding neighbors in Westford, Groton, Dunstable and Tyngsborough. 🪐

MIT Wallace Astrophysical Observatory will be open to the public for the Perseids meteor shower on Sunday August 11, 2024.

05/11/2024

Go outside and look up.

04/01/2024

Did you know?The way to safely view the 2023 annular eclipse and the 2024 total solar eclipse in the United States will be different. Learn how to view the 2023 annular solar eclipse here and the 2024 total solar eclipse here. Eclipse Eye Safety Except during the brief total phase of a total solar e...

01/26/2024

Astronomy Field Camp 2024!

08/31/2023

First light on our newest scope! The Astro-Tech 90mm Carbon Fiber Tube was installed on Pier 1 along with the Celestron EdgeHD C14. Now we have the option, on the same mount, to image the same location on the sky with a .3 degree field and a 2 degree field.
As per astronomical tradition, here's the first image from the refractor - a single 5 minute, unguided exposure of the Veil nebula using a Hydrogen-alpha filter.

08/14/2023

Hi friends. Hope you have enjoyed the Perseids this year. They will technically continue this week, but at much lower rates. On the other hand, I have had quite a few complaints from our observers that people are just showing up, trying to make their way inside our observatory building at night. This is not ok. Public viewing on MIT property is by appointment ONLY. Thank you for understanding.

08/01/2023

The Perseids are here! Peaking August 12th-13th. Not sure if Wallace will have a big open house this year, yet.

There's one big issue this year with seeing them and it isn't the Moon this time. It's us. With light pollution growing nationally at 10.4%/year, we're losing the night. This is being felt acutely at Wallace, where we have now lost the ability to see the Milky Way. Please, if you live in the surrounding community (Groton, Dunstable, Tyngsboro, Littleton, Westford, Ayer, Lowell, Chelmsford and so on): 1) turn off unnecessary lighting on your property, 2) only install fully shielded fixtures, 3) choose lighting that has a color of 2000-2700 K, 4) stop uplighting those trees (it's bad for the trees anyway) and 5) enough with the solar lights - they're bad for pollinators.

Swift-Tuttle measures 16 miles across, according to NASA, or more than twice the size of the object believed to have caused the dinosaurs' demise.

06/23/2023

After 14 years of service at Wallace Observatory, Finnegan retired yesterday from MIT. His presence will be sorely missed, but we are grateful for the long days and nights he spent here supporting staff and students while they observed comets, asteroids, supernovae, exoplanets and occultations. His age unknown, he arrived here from California where he was rescued from humble beginnings as a street dog in Oakland. We estimate that he interacted with almost 4,000 members of the MIT community over the years. Thank you, Finn! ❤️🐕🌈