Aug. 26 marked the 140th anniversary of McKim Observatory’s First Light. An observatory’s “First Light” signifies when a newly constructed telescope is pointed to view the night sky for the first time. Built in 1884, the observatory has since been used by students taking astronomy classes or doing independent research projects, and is also open to the public during open houses. For its 140th anniversary, there will be a special First Light Festival, complete with presentations and extra opportunities for the public to visit.
The celebration kicked off with a presentation hosted by DePauw professors Howard Brooks, Mary Kertzman and Alex Komives at the Putnam County Museum about the early history of the observatory. They will be repeating the presentation on Tuesday, Sep. 16, at 7 p.m. in Olin Auditorium.
Additional public open houses will take place at the observatory this fall to continue its 140th celebration. Typically, open houses often occur on nights with higher visibility of the moon or planets. However, these extra nights will occur on dark, moonless nights. The extra nights will be inspired by Wilbur Vincent Brown, former Assistant Director of the observatory, and his first-year notebooks recording sky observation from 1885 through 1886. They will also feature a small collection of artifacts from the observatory’s early days, available to the public for a limited time.
Guided tours will also be offered for the first time this fall. They will be hosted in small groups, limited to ten people and will be approximately 45 minutes long. The tour is free, but registration is required; registration information is forthcoming.
The next open house is scheduled for Sept. 19 from 8:45-10:15 p.m. and the full list is below. If you are interested in visiting the observatory, please note that the building is not ADA-compliant and does not have a restroom, so plan accordingly!
Fall 2025 Open House Schedule
- August 29, 8:30-10 p.m. — Moon and bright sky targets
- September 19, 8:45-10:15 p.m. — Dark sky targets
- October 3, 8-10 p.m. — Moon and Saturn
- October 24, 8-10 p.m. — Dark sky targets
- November 14, 7-9 p.m. — Saturn and dark sky targets
- December 5, 7-9 p.m. — Saturn and Moon
