Astronomy is entering an era of billion-dollar telescopes and massive data pipelines. But as the field scales up, something essential risks being lost: the hands-on experience of collecting light from the universe itself. Thankfully, there is one, often overlooked, place where generations of students continue to be enamored with the practice of observational astronomy: the college observatory.
From a very young age, I was fascinated by science and the night sky. As a child, I remember spending many late-night drives coming home from family visits just staring up at the stars. In that sense, astronomy is very accessible. Anybody can go outside on a clear night and look at the stars and maybe even see the bright band of our own Milky Way galaxy if far enough away from sources of light pollution. However, unlike in many other scientific disciplines, astronomers do not interact closely with the subjects of their study in a lab or in the field. Gathering and recording the light from distant celestial objects at an observatory is really the only time we get to connect directly with the cosmic bodies that so interest us.
When I was contemplating where to attend graduate school, my choice was made easy when my future thesis adviser at Université de Montréal guaranteed that I would go observing in Arizona during my first semester as a master’s student. I was sold. I knew I made the right call during that initial trip to Arizona, in September 2003, when I saw our very first bit of data appear on the computer screen and later stepped outside to look at a night sky I had never seen before, one filled with stars from horizon to horizon. It was a magical experience for me. I was already hooked on the science—that observing mission got me hooked on the process.
However, the intimate feeling of personally collecting light from far-flung sources is being jeopardized by the new era of “big astronomy.” All-sky surveys, expansive public databases and the advent of mega telescopes will undoubtedly provide unprecedented opportunities for discovery. While these advancements are essential for the field, they risk distancing students from the experience of acquiring their own data and the chance to feel that visceral connection to the cosmos that I experienced on that first night of observing.
Many colleges and universities operate their own telescopes and observatories either on campus or at a nearby site. These are typically equipped with smaller, more affordable telescopes, often costing less than $100,000. As a graduate student, I benefited from having relatively easy access to the Observatoire du Mont-Mégantic, where I spent more than 100 nights. The weather was not always ideal, but I gained valuable experience in planning and executing my own observations and getting familiar with different types of instruments. More importantly, the same principles that govern how we steer these modest-size telescopes apply to the operation of the multibillion-dollar ones currently being built for professional astronomers. As such, small college observatories provide an ideal training ground for both graduate and undergraduate students to learn the tricks of the trade.
At Connecticut College, where I teach, I was tasked with carrying on the legacy of hands-on astronomy training. When I arrived in 2023, the college’s main telescope was nearly 30 years old. We were at a crossroads: Do we repair or replace it? Thankfully, the decision was made for us when the college received a generous gift from an anonymous donor, which allowed us to replace the telescope with a modern system in June 2025. The excitement within the college community, and especially among the students, has been obvious and palpable. I must admit that participating in efforts to give our observatory a second life has fanned the flames of my passion for astronomy in a unique way, and I look forward to passing my knowledge and skills on to future generations of stargazers.
Allowing the masses to see cosmic wonders up close, through an eyepiece on the back of a telescope, renews humankind’s age-old fascination with the heavens and gives astronomers like me the chance to connect with the local community. Public access to observatories helps people understand how science works and why it matters. There’s nothing quite like the oohs and ahhs that invariably accompany somebody’s first sight of Saturn’s rings with their own eyes. Letting the public experience those moments firsthand is crucial to justifying continued funding for astronomy and space research at all levels.
The development of billion-dollar ground- and space-based telescopes will allow astronomers to push the boundaries of our knowledge and our understanding of the cosmos to new heights. As a scientist, I can’t help but feel excited by these advances. But let’s not forget the importance of continuing to support small, college-operated telescopes and observatories, which just might inspire the next 5-year-old looking up with wonder to carpe noctem: Seize the night!
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