FLORIDA OBSERVATORIES (many have public viewing nights, check their websites for details)

Belen Observatory at Belen Jesuit Preparatory School, Miami

Crosby Observatory at Orlando Science Center - 10" Refractor - admission fee to Science Center.

Eastern Florida State College Observatory - 24" Ritchey- Chrtien telescope available for public viewing Friday and Saturday nights from sunset until 10 p.m..

Egan Observatory at Florida Gulf Coast University - 16" Ritchey-Chrtien telescope and 5 smaller computer guided go-to telescopes. Here's a google maps satellite view of the observatory dome, and here's a link with more info about the observatory. Public access through Southwest Florida Astronomical Society.

Embry Riddle Creekside Observatory - They have a 20-inch reflector Dall-Kirkham telescope by Planewave Instruments , three 12-inch reflectors, a 4-inch refractor, and a pair of giant binoculars and a new observatory with a 1 meter Ritchey-Chrtien telescope (see images on this page.) Free public viewing open houses are to be held approximately ~6 times per year. During open houses there will be a public lecture at 7 p.m. and observations from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. During open houses there will also be additional presentations such as Gravity Well Simulator, Solar System Tour, Space Posters, and a Photography Gallery. Amateur Astronomers will be also be invited to set up telescopes outside for public viewing.

The Embry-Riddell Telescope is the largest public accessible telescope in Florida with a 1 meter (39.4") primary mirror, a 40 cm (15.7" secondary mirror), with an 8 meter focal length (f/8). The primary mirror weighs 700 lbs, and the total scope weighs 5500 lbs (not including the massive 6 story pier that it sits on that is separate from the building!) The largest refractor riding as an outrigger scope is an 8" APM. There are also a number of other outriggers that are Takahashi's and Vixen.

The Student control room can be seen in one of the images below (which is not the same as the local control near the scope, and I've got a shot of the Infra Red dome surveillance cameras too.

Farrout Observatory, Dade City, FL ("Where Tampa's Astronomers Cluster")

Florida Atlantic Observatory, (14" Celestron Edge HD SCT on a Losmandy Titan 50, and Daystar filter for live Sun Prominences), Boca Raton

Fox Observatory (16"), Sunrise, FL

Kissimmee Park Observatory, Kissimmee and Facebook link, I believe he's using a 17.5", contact Dave Hearn for group or private visits.

Nicholas Copernicus Observatory at University of Miami

Ortega Telescope (32"/.8 meter) at FIT

Rosemary Hill Observatory (30"), Bronson FL

Stocker AstroScience Center at FIU, Miami - Under construction, 24" telescope from ACE ordered (they currently have 12" Meade.)

Star Fields Observatory (private), Chiefland

Univ. of Florida Campus Teaching Observatory, Gainsville FL - Clark 8-inch Refractor by Alvan Clark & Sons - 203 mm / 2920 mm = f/14 12.5-inch Cassegrain Reflector by Army Map Service - 318 mm / 5220 mm = f/16 with a photoelectric photometer; small auxiliary telescope for imaging Moon with CCD. 12-inch Schmidt- Cassegrain by Meade Instruments - 305 mm / 3048 mm = f/10, on movable tripod; computer controlled. 8 inch Schmidt- Cassegrain by Meade Instruments - 200 mm / 2000 mm = f/10 Six telescopes that can be mounted on permanent piers outside the observatory building. 5-inch Schmidt- Cassegrain by Celestron International - 127 mm / 1200 mm = f/10

University of Central Florida's Robinson Observatory, Orlando, FL - 20" Richey Chretien telescope and a bunch of 8" Meade Schmidt Cassegrains, here's The Robinson Observatory website, and their Open House Schedule

University of Florida Radio Jove Observatory

Weintraub Observatory in Miami at the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science. __________________________________________________ FLORIDA PLANETARIA

Bishop Planetarium - Bradenton

Broward College Buehler Planetarium - Davie

Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium - Fort Myers

Planetarium at Daytona Museum of Arts and Sciences

Eastern Florida State College Planetarium - Cocoa

Florida Southern College Miller Planetarium - Lakeland, currently closed, and their website was taken down in 2014 (after they had been closed for several years.) They are trying to get funds together to re-open it, possibly within a year? Their structure is the only observatory in the world designed by the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright, and was founded in 1959.

Florida State University Pat Thomas Planetarium - Tallahassee

Indian River State College Halstrom Planetarium - Fort Pierce

Miami Science Museum Space Transit Planetarium CLOSED (their old location is now closed, watch for their new Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science and planetarium opening in Summer of 2016!)

Santa Fe College Kika Silva Pla Planetarium - Gainesville

Seminole State College Planetarium - Sanford (Also known as the Emil Buehler Perpetual Trust Planetarium at Seminole State College of Florida).

St. Petersburg College Planetarium

Tampa Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) The Saunders Planetarium

___________________________________________________

Amateur astronomer's observatory domes at Chiefland Florida

IR surveillance cams at Embry-Riddle Observatory.

Student data access room below the Embry-Riddle Observatory.

The Robinson Observatory at University of Central Florida has a 20" Ritchey-Chrtien telescope, and public observing nights through smaller telescopes too.

(Top of page images from left to right: a private observatory with telescope peeking through the dome in Chiefland Florida, Seminole State College Planetarium SETI Engineer Presentation, Kennedy Space Center Visitor's Complex Floating Celestial Sphere, The Rocket Thrower outside the Orlando Science Center (which has a public observatory) based on a World's Fair Statue, Robinson Observatory at University of Central Florida; all images by Jason Higley)

The 1 meter telescope at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Sept, 2014

The new 1 meter telescope at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Sept, 2014

Embry-Riddle 1 meter telescope

Here's the public-accessible 10" refractor telescope at the Orlando Science Center. The operator says that this was Mr. Byers last 10" refractor (the optics were also by him.) There is significant vibration from the surrounding visitor floor (even though they tried to isolate the pier from the gantry.) People can access it on clear Friday and Saturday nights (when visiting the science center with paid admission, however there are sometimes ways to get significant discounts, up to free access.)

Software Bisque mounts at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach.

Takahashi telescopes ready to be rolled out at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Univ. in Daytona.

This is the new Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) 1 meter telescope. Open to public viewing up to ~6 nights per year.

A different angle of the fork mount and 1 meter telescope at ERAU.

This is the new dome of the ERAU observatory.

Above you can get a sense of how high up the new 1 meter telescope is at Embry Riddle in Daytona, Florida (my estimate being around ~6 stories.) Photo by me on 7 July, 2013.

Notice how the giant telescope pier directly under the dome angles off at the last level of the new Embry Riddle Observatory..

They are installing the windows to the left as of 7 July 2013.

This is the amazing massive pier to isolate the new 1 meter telescope from the building being constructed around it.

See the original post here:

Planetariums, Observatories - Florida Astronomy