Michigan is known for its gorgeous waterfronts and woods that are beautiful in every season, but one treasure of this area doesn’t look to the woods and streams but to the universe for an amazing sight seeing of the stars. The James C. Veen Observatory, owned and operated by the Grand Rapids Amateur Astronomical Association (GRAAA), is an astronomical observatory located just south of Lowell, Michigan by the Grand River.
Built in the 1960s, it was opened in 1970 and continues to be maintained today. The observatory has two domes; the smaller dome on the east side is the primary research center of the facility which holds a Celestron C-14 which is run by computers in order to handle a variety of tasks such as CCD imagine, photometry and astrometry, to name a few. The larger dome on the west side is a general use area for observation and photography and houses a Meade 16-inch LX-200 that can be operated by either a hand controller or by current computer software. A 17″ Dobsonian is also mounted outside for general viewing of the stars.
The Observatory houses a large meeting room and an extensive library on its lower level. The Veen Observatory is an excellent local resource and offers evening group tours for only $50 that includes a guided tour of the facility, audio-visual presentations, and the opportunity to observe the surrounding skies through the observatory telescopes. The viewing season runs from mid-April to mid-October and groups are able to select a secondary “cloud” date in case the weather is not conducive to viewing. Located in a heavily wooded area kept dark for best observation of the night sky, it is recommended that groups bring flashlights, dress appropriate to the weather and bring bug repellent.
Group tours can be booked at the GRAAA website at www.graaa.org. Not only available for group tours, the Veen Observatory is open to the public on clear sky nights April through October on the second and last Saturdays of the month. You can call Starwatch at 897-7065 for updates on that night’s observation status. Admission is $3 for adults, $2 for those 17 years and younger, and free for children under 5 years old.