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
- Visit & Contact
- Membership Information
- Member Nights
- Our Equipment
- Custer History
- Radio Astronomy
- Music Project
- Eclipses and Transits
- Meteor Showers
- Custer Maker Space
- News & Resources
Updated: 04/22/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.
| April 2018 | |
| 28 | Noon to Midnight: Astronomy & Earth Day! Come celebrate spring at Custer Observatory with your kids. Indoor and outdoor fun, music, and educational activities.  |
| Friday 27 | Members' Night: Last Friday each month. No public tours! A Members-Only (and their guests) evening for mingling, observing, enjoying the observatory and its resources, discussing Custer's present and planning its future together. Coordinated through the Custer Member's Yahoo Group. Members check there for updates. |
| May 2018 | |
| 12 | RITES OF SPRING MUSIC FEST at Custer Observatory presents IAN ROSENBAUM and EDUARDO LEANDRO PERCUSSION. This musical program presents contemporary works that reflect the richness of percussion instruments and their ability to generate new sound environments. Praised for his "excellent" and "precisely attuned" performances by the New York Times, percussionist Ian David Rosenbaum has developed a musical breadth far beyond his years. Mr. Rosenbaum joined the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center in 2012 as only the second percussionist they have selected in their history. |
| 19 | 4:30pm BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING, members welcome. |
| June 2018 | |
| 23 | 4:30 pm Annual Membership Meeting and BBQ. Please try to attend in person and vote, then stay and mingle at the BBQ and the concert! See the next entry... |
| 23 | 7:30pm. CONCERT UNDER THE STARS featuring ROBERT BRUEY and IZZY DOROSKI. This multi-artist performance, held outdoors on the Observatory lawn, will usher in the summer night sky. Stargazing will be held concurrently beginning at nightfall through the Observatory’s powerful telescopes and guided by expert staff. Bring a blanket or chair and a telescope of your own (optional). $15 Adults, $12 Members, $10 Children under 16. |
| Friday 25 | Members' Night: Last Friday each month. No public tours! A Members-Only (and their guests) evening for mingling, observing, enjoying the observatory and its resources, discussing Custer's present and planning its future together. Coordinated through the Custer Member's Yahoo Group. Members check there for updates. |
| Friday 29 | Members' Night: Last Friday each month. No public tours! A Members-Only (and their guests) evening for mingling, observing, enjoying the observatory and its resources, discussing Custer's present and planning its future together. Coordinated through the Custer Member's Yahoo Group. Members check there for updates. |
| 30 | STEINWAY AND STARGAZING featuring CHAMBEROSITY. Details to follow. |
| July 2018 | |
| Sunday 1 | STEINWAY SUNDAYS featuring the PERRRY SCHERER ENSEMBLE. . Details to follow. |
| 21 | STEINWAY AND STARGAZING featuring the TED HOYLE ENSEMBLE. Details to follow. |
| Sunday 22 | STEINWAY SUNDAYS featuring the JOHANSEN-MARKARD PIANO DUO. Details to follow. |
| Friday 27 | Members' Night: Last Friday each month. No public tours! A Members-Only (and their guests) evening for mingling, observing, enjoying the observatory and its resources, discussing Custer's present and planning its future together. Coordinated through the Custer Member's Yahoo Group. Members check there for updates. |
| August 2018 | |
| 19 | STEINAY SUNDAYS featuring a YOUNG MUSICIANS RECITAL. Details to follow. |
| Friday 31 | Members' Night: Last Friday each month. No public tours! A Members-Only (and their guests) evening for mingling, observing, enjoying the observatory and its resources, discussing Custer's present and planning its future together. Coordinated through the Custer Member's Yahoo Group. Members check there for updates. |
| November 2018 | |
| 2-4 | StarFest 2018 (aka 40th Astronomy Jamboree, but now with a more modern and catchy name! Events are better too – wait and see!) Details to follow, but mark your calendars! |
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.