Custer Institute

Welcome to the Custer Institute & Observatory

Long Island's oldest public observatory (est. 1927)

All observing is done out in the open air, under the stars. Dress appropriately.
Please wear a mask when inside the buildings.

For the Curious

The Custer Institute and Observatory is Long Island's oldest public observatory (est.1927). Open to the public every Saturday evening from dusk until midnight, our staff of volunteers will give you a tour of the facilities and the night sky through our powerful telescopes. Custer has a library, exhibit room, and gift shop. Frequent lectures, classes,concerts, art exhibits and other special events.

Custer Links

Updated: 01/16/22

Check our weather and the moon phase

Weather permitting, Saturday Night Observing is from 7pm to midnight where volunteer Staff provide guided tours of the sky.

Check back often for the lastest information regarding programs and news.

	Everyone loves the moon! Check the phase of the Moon here and remember, less moon = darker skies which is what you need to see many deep sky objects such as those found in the Messier Catalog or the NGC Objects. But whether the Moon is just a sliver or full, it's always great to see through our telescopes! As a volunteer organization, we can really only guarantee to answer the phone Saturday nights when we are there. Check back here and our facebook page for the latest information.
Thursday, Jan 20 4-4:45 pm	Science Thursdays with Brookhaven Lab Webinar! Space Engineering: Tools for Cosmology Building instruments to observe the universe With Justine Haupt, Instrument Developer @Brookhaven National Laboratory's Instrumentation Division Justine Haupt was a primary contributor to the sensor development effort for the Vera Rubin Observatory. She's co-principle investigator for a project entitled "Free Space Optical Link for Entangled Photon Distribution Over Long Distances", and an ongoing contributor a 4-dish 21cm cosmology demonstrator radio telescope (the Baryon Mapping Experiment). Her competencies span optical, mechanical, and electrical engineering. Justine sits on the board of directors of the Custer Observatory in Southold, NY where she serves as the radio astronomy chair and is actively engaged in astronomy and STEM outreach. She is the owner of Sky's Edge, an open-source technology company. Justine was named the 2014 Rising Engineering Star by Mouser Electronics and Design News Magazine. *This Webinar is FREE to attend. We ask that you register in advance as this will guide our preparations and plans for the meeting.*
Friday, Feb 4 6 pm	CUSTER HONEY BEE CLUB MEET. Join us for our February monthly meeting! Custer's Honey Bee Club is a group of enthusiastic beekeepers and bee lovers who get together once a month to share their honey bee experiences and learn from each other about how to keep bees, sustainable bee practices and hive management. At these informal meetings, you will have a chance to meet and mingle with beekeepers of all levels, from the novice beekeeper to the professional. Custer's Honey Bee Club has a community bee yard and other facilities that allows for hands-on collaborative learning and demonstrations and which is surrounded by a beautiful arboretum. Not yet a beekeeper, but want to learn what beekeeping is all about? Are you a backyard beekeeper looking for other backyard beekeepers? Or a professional beekeeper interested in getting involved with the growing North Fork beekeeping movement? Come join us! *FREE to attend. We ask that you register in advance as this will guide our preparations and plans for the meeting. Registration is not required to attend.*
Saturday, Feb 5 4:30 pm	Custer Board Meeting. Members welcome.
Friday, March 4 6 pm	CUSTER HONEY BEE CLUB MEET. Join us for our March monthly meeting! Custer's Honey Bee Club is a group of enthusiastic beekeepers and bee lovers who get together once a month to share their honey bee experiences and learn from each other about how to keep bees, sustainable bee practices and hive management. At these informal meetings, you will have a chance to meet and mingle with beekeepers of all levels, from the novice beekeeper to the professional. Custer's Honey Bee Club has a community bee yard and other facilities that allows for hands-on collaborative learning and demonstrations and which is surrounded by a beautiful arboretum. Not yet a beekeeper, but want to learn what beekeeping is all about? Are you a backyard beekeeper looking for other backyard beekeepers? Or a professional beekeeper interested in getting involved with the growing North Fork beekeeping movement? Come join us! FREE to attend. We ask that you register in advance as this will guide our preparations and plans for the meeting. Registration is not required to attend.

A Major Milestone for the James Webb Space Telescope

NASA TV Public-Education

NASA TV airs a variety of regularly scheduled, pre-recorded educational and public relations programming 24 hours a day on its various channels. The network also provides an array of live programming, such as 24-hour coverage of International Space Station events (spacewalks, media interviews, educational broadcasts), and rocket launches.