Welcome to the Custer Institute & Observatory


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

You can support Custer through General Donations, Building & Restoration Projects, and by becoming a Member!
All observing is done out in the open air, under the stars. Dress appropriately.

Moon Phase  |  Weather

Mobile Phone Users, please turn your phone to the side to view the Events calendar.

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.

SKY OBSERVING

Weekly - Saturday Nights
8 pm - Midnight
Volunteer staff provide guided tours of the sky.

A NIGHT OF KNAPPING, NAMING, AND THE LEONID METEOR SHOWER. 

NOVEMBER 16, 2024 

5 - 7 PM - SOUTHOLD INDIAN MUSEUM

7 PM - MIDNIGHT at CUSTER OBSERVATORY

The spectacular Leonid meteor shower of 1833 was visible across most of North America, with an estimated 70,000 shooting stars viewed per hour. It was noted in many newspaper accounts and in artworks. The Native American Nations recorded the 1833 Leonid meteor shower in their calendars and oral traditions. Pictographs of winter counts show the 1833 shower, and the Cheyenne tied the phenomenon to a peace and trade treaty signed with the U.S. in 1833.

In honor of National Native American Heritage Month, Southold Indian Museum and Custer Institute have partnered to offer events through the evening, near the peak of this year's Leonid Meteor shower. From 5pm-7pm, the Southold Indian Museum (directly across the street from Custer Institute) will be open to view exhibits, artifact identification and at 6pm there will be flintknapping demonstrations by Robert Molter.

Beginning at 7pm, Custer Institute and Observatory will be open and observatory staff will provide guided tours of night sky objects (weather permitting) through the many telescopes on site, including the apochromatic Zerochromat telescope in the historic observation dome. Guests can also relax on the lawn and try to catch a glimpse of the Leonid Meteor Shower (weather permitting), visible to the naked eye. The Leonids, which peak during mid-November, originate from periodic Comet Tempel-Tuttle and radiate from the constellation Leo.

We ask that you register in advance as this will guide our preparations and plans for the event. Registration is not required to attend. Donations are appreciated and can be made at the door.

Registration/Ticket Portal 
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WINTER WONDERS OF THE NIGHT SKY

DECEMBER 21, 7:30PM, 

Join us for a very special Winter Solstice evening! With presentations by speaker Randall DiGiuseppe and classical guitarist Robert Secrist. Learn how to explore and navigate the winter night sky including the constellations visible this season and stories behind them, then warm up inside with a cup of hot cocoa and enjoy the sounds of music! Randall DiGiuseppe, Custer lifetime member and presenter, will be your guide to the awe-inspiring objects that grace our winter night sky such as the Pleiades, Orion's stars and nebulae, and other winter constellations. The guided lecture portion of this event will be outdoors when the stars are out, so please dress accordingly. Telescopes for viewing the objects covered during the event will be in the main observatory dome and in the open field. Bundle up, look up and take in what our winter night sky has to offer. Coffee, tea and hot cocoa will be available after the outdoor presentation in our Observatory Hall, where you can relax and enjoy music from the renaissance to the great American songbook performed by classical guitarist, Robert Secrist. Observatory staff will also be providing guided tours of the night sky (weather permitting) through the many telescopes on site, including the apochromatic Zerochromat telescope in our historic observation dome during and after the presentation. This event is open to everyone. Just bring an inquisitive mind, a blanket or chair and your imagination. Randall DiGiuseppe is a professional artist, lecturer, telescope builder and amateur astronomer for over four decades. He is a lifetime member of the Custer Institute and Observatory and recipient of the Astronomical League’s Messier Award. He conducts lectures on the dynamics, history and art of the night sky throughout the country. Robert Secrist, award winning classical guitarist, has impressed audiences and critics alike with his captivating lyric and dynamic musicianship since he made his New York debut at Carnegie Recital Hall at the age of 21. New York Times journalist, Raymond Ericson, has hailed Secrist as a performer with, “a natural grace that never loses sight of a rhythmic base … extraordinarily poetic.” $10 Adult, $5 Observatory Members, Children Under 16 FREE. Your donations make it possible to offer programs like these and are greatly appreciated. Due to limited space, registration is strongly encouraged. This is a weather permitting event - a rain date will be considered if needed. Please bring a blanket or chair to enjoy the outdoor portion of the presentation.

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