Welcome to the Custer Institute & Observatory

Long Island's oldest public observatory (est. 1927)
Suggested donation of $5 adults and $3 children.

All observing is done out in the open air, under the stars. Dress appropriately.

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, museum, and gift shop. Frequent lectures, classes,concerts, art exhibits and other special events.

Custer Links

Updated: 10/15/Two Thousand Eighteen

Saturday Night Observing: Open 7pm-Midnight

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.



  More to come! Plans are being made! Check back often!
  October 2018
Saturday,
Oct. 27th
3:00pm and 6:00pm.

Halloween Tales of Horror! Readings of Edgar Allan Poe by The Storyteller.
This Halloween come hear the macabre works of Edgar Allan Poe at Custer Observatory brought to life by The Storyteller. Poe readings will occur at 3pm and again at 6pm. Spooky music, safe trick-or-treating, haunted Observatory tours and stargazing (at nightfall) follows each performance.

The program includes the following short stories by Edgar Allan Poe:

  • Spirits of the Dead
  • The Cask of Amontillado
  • The Raven
  • The Tell-tale Heart
  • Alone
  November 2018
Fri-Sun,
2nd-4th

Custer Astronomy Jamboree 2018 (aka StarFest 2018)
Every year the Custer Observatory, in Southold, NY, hosts a weekend of astronomy lectures, stargazing, and friendship. 2018 marks the 40th year of this fun and exciting weekend of lectures, demonstrations, friends, food, music, and of course stargazing! It is a weekend for families, those new to astronomy, as well as seasoned stargazers.

  • Workshops
  • Lectures
  • Solar Observing
  • Viewing through the Telescopes
  • Planetarium Shows
  • Dava Sobel , Keynote Speaker


 
  Debember 2018
Saturday,
Dec 15.
6:30pm		 A Jazzy Holiday with the Transitions Saxophone Quartet

Join us for a jazz-infused concert of holiday favorites including Leroy Anderson's "Sleigh Ride" Vince Guaraldi's music from "A Charlie Brown Christmas", selections from "The Nutcracker" as well as jazz arrangements of some popular holiday tunes. Stargazing (weather permitting) will follow.

Suggested Donation: $5 Adults, $3 Children Under 12


Visit Custer!

Get a feel for the place and part of our must-see-in-person collection!

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.