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Westmont Observatory

Observatory Hosts Summer Solstice Stargazing

Westmont invites the local community to explore the night sky during its monthly free public stargazing event on Friday, June 19, beginning at 8:45 p.m. and lasting several hours at the Westmont Observatory.

“Weather permitting, visitors will have the opportunity to view the moon, the Hercules globular cluster, and Mizar and Alcor, a famous double-star system in the Big Dipper that actually consists of six stars,” says Jennifer Gee, assistant professor of physics and director of the Westmont Observatory.

The viewing is held in partnership with the Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit (SBAU), whose members generously bring their own high-powered telescopes to share with the public around the observatory. Guests will also have access to the college’s primary resource, the powerful 24-inch refurbished Keck Telescope housed inside the observatory dome.

"Even though there is temporary fencing around parts of the observatory, we will still have access to the patio and dome," Gee says.

The public viewings are a staple community resource, held on the third Friday of every month. The events are completely free and last for several hours, offering an accessible, educational evening for space enthusiasts of all ages.

Free parking is available near the Westmont Observatory, which is between the baseball field and the track and field/soccer complex. To enter Westmont's campus, please use the Main Entrance off of La Paz Road. The lower entrance off of Cold Springs Road is closed to visitors after 7 p.m. Here is a map with directions to get to the observatory.

KECK TELESCOPE

A Powerful Instrument for Astronomical Observations at Westmont

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The Keck Telescope, a computer-controlled 24-inch F/8 Cassegrain reflector with Ritchey-Chretien optics (the same configuration used on the Hubble Space Telescope), has served as a versatile instrument for Westmont faculty and students for over a decade and remains one of the most powerful telescopes on the California Central Coast. Not only has the device been used for a variety of research projects and coursework, but it has also been a source of awe and inspiration for the greater Santa Barbara community.

The Westmont Observatory also serves as one of the free, public observing sites for the Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit (SBAU) every third Friday of the month. In particular, the Keck Telescope has provided clearer and more dramatic demonstrations of the splendor of God’s creation to members of the broader Santa Barbara community, including young children and students in local schools.

“The observatory remains a signature component of the Westmont campus and a favorite among our current students and returning alumni,” says Professor Bob Haring-Kaye from the Department of Physics and Engineering. “We are excited to see how this facility will continue to be used to provide outstanding educational experiences, including meaningful research experiences, to our students and point to the artistic grandeur of the Creator.”

Three students walking in front of the Carroll Observatory.

The Keck Telescope

History

The original Westmont College Observatory was dedicated on June 1, 1957. (It has since been replaced by a new observatory in 2010.) The main dome featured a 16.5-inch reflector which was made and donated by George Carroll. The scope was equipped for spectroscopic and micrometric work, whose introduction originally made national news.

More recently, the original telescope caught the limelight as a group of amateur astronomers from the Santa Barbara Astronomy group observed the rotation of Mars with a CCD camera (Astronomy Magazine, Feb. 1989, p. 92.) These were some of the very first CCD images of Mars taken by amateurs.