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.
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: 01/15/Two Thousand Twenty-One

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. |
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Saturday, Jan 23 |
Board Meeting, 4pm.Members welcome. |
Friday, Feb 5 6 pm |
CUSTER HONEY BEE CLUB MEET.![]() Last chance to order your bees for the spring! We'll be taking orders at our February meeting! (Supplied by North Fork Promise Land Apiaries) 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! |
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.