The Clay Center Observatory, on the campus of Dexter Southfield School (20 Newton Street in Brookline; 5th floor), holds Public Telescope Nights on most Tuesdays in the spring and fall.  This month, these will be held on November 4 and 18, from 7PM to 8PM.  These events are canceled if weather is rainy or overcast:  Call 617-454-2795 one hour before the event for a recorded message.  The Clay Center offers a range of Outreach Programs for community groups.  Check the Center’s calendar for future events and sign up for the Center’s email list.

The observatory contains a diffraction-limited 64cm (25-inch) telescope with optically perfect mirrors (better than 1/100th of a wave at 632.8nm) — similar in optical design to the Hubble Space Telescope.  It’s protected by two airlocks, a dome powered by solar cells and wind turbine, and its own foundation that is completely isolated from the foundation of the surrounding building.  The telescope and dome are computerized and can be operated through the Internet by researchers anywhere in the world.