The William G. and Retha Stone Baker Observatory is an astronomical

Astronomy

Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...

 observatory

Observatory

An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geology, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed...

 owned and operated by Missouri State University

Missouri State University

Missouri State University is a public university located in Springfield, Missouri, United States and founded in 1905. It is the state's second largest university, with an official enrollment of 20,802 in fall 2011...

. It is located in Marshfield

Marshfield, Missouri

Marshfield is a city in Webster County, Missouri, United States. The population was 6,633 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat and part of the Springfield, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...

, Missouri

Missouri

Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...

.

About the observatory

The William G and Retha Stone Baker Observatory is located ten miles northwest of Marshfield in Webster County (off Route 38 on Old Hillcrest Road). The Observatory houses a 14-inch (0.36 meter) Schmidt-Cassegrain and a 16-inch (0.4 meter) Cassegrain . The 16-inch Cassegrain Reflecting Telescope (with CCD attached camera) is on loan to MSU from Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile. This telescope was one of the first telescopes to be used at Kitt Peak National Observatory. In comparison to observations performed by eye, the CCD camera makes this telescope as powerful as a 100-inch (2.5 meter) telescope. Missouri State recently purchased an additional 16 inch Schmidt-Cassegrain reflector which is currently being set up to allow for remote operation from campus.

The Observatory is used on clear evenings for laboratory work by students in beginning and intermediate Astronomy courses, and by advanced undergraduate students and faculty conducting Astronomical research. The Observatory houses many smaller telescopes for students to use in addition to the two large instruments.

The public may visit the Observatory and view the night sky through telescopes, either at open houses or during the Ozarks Amateur Astronomers Club meetings. Open houses are conducted by the Department of Physics and Astronomy twice each year, in April or May, and in September or October. Admission is free.

External links

• Baker Observatory Clear Sky Clock Forecasts of observing conditions.