Boise State’s astronomical observatory was originally installed on top of the Science and Education Building in 1978 and was a very popular destination for Boiseans to stargaze for many years.
In 2015, we ran a crowdfunding campaign to refurbish the observatory — to purchase a new, robotic mount and other hardware. That campaign raised more $10k from the public, which allowed us to significantly upgrade the observatory.
Since 2015, the observatory has been the center of Boise State’s astronomy outreach program, serving as the stargazing venue for the First Friday Astronomy Events every month.
In addition, if the weather permits, the observatory is open every Friday night in June (as of 2019), starting at 10p.
Questions about the observatory can be directed to Prof. Brian Jackson.