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Keeble Observatory

@keebleobservatory

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Astronomical Observatory @randolphmacon
Observing the heavens from the center of the universe!
⭐️ OPEN🔭
Thursdays from 7:30 - 9:30 PM

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As college application season ramps up, we want to encourage you to apply to Randolph-Macon College to study astrophysics! We offer an astrophysics minor, useful for going into astrophysics or aerospace (or data science, or programming, or teaching, or…) as a professional career. Many of our students are majoring in either physics or engineering, whose required courses overlap with our prerequisites.

You’ll learn the fundamentals of modern astrophysics, get to use the Keeble Observatory (Image 1) in your coursework, and learn how to use a research grade camera to study objects like exoplanets and star clusters. You’ll take and combine filtered images of galaxies and nebulae to create a color image, like the one Kate Lenhardt (’27) took of the Triangulum Galaxy (Image 2).

Plus, our students have the chance to work and do paid research in the summer across the country. This past summer…

…(Image 3) Savannah Jones (’27) worked at Notre Dame studying the evolution of a dwarf galaxy using data from the Keck telescope…

…(Image 4) Arissa Williams (’28) worked on calibrations for NASA’s Europa Clipper mission at the Southwest Research Institute…

…(Image 5) Cooper Bailey (’27) worked on directly imaging exoplanets at the University of Hawai’i using images from the Hubble Space Telescope…

…(Image 6) Zack Beagle (’27) worked as an RA and a TA at the Summer Science Program, teaching high schoolers how to calculate the orbit of an asteroid.

If you want to learn more about our program, please reach out to Professor Michael Rodruck (michaelrodruck@rmc.edu) for more information! We are happy to setup a time for you to visit the college and see our department. by @keebleobservatory

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a month ago

Students visit the incredible Keeble Observatory at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland. It's the biggest telescope between DC and the Blue Ridge Mountains! 🔭✨

Did you know they host FREE public stargazing every Thursday?

Tag someone who needs to see this magical experience! Who's ready for a stargazing adventure? taken in Ashland, Virginia by @keebleobservatory

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6 months ago

Unfortunately, the forecast says that it will be cloudy tonight, so we will not be open for our public viewing. We will try to open again next week! by @keebleobservatory

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3 days ago

Thanks for visiting the Keeble Observatory! Here are some highlights and we hope to see you this Thursday! Stay tuned for updates. by @keebleobservatory

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6 days ago

We will be opening tonight at 7:30 pm for a public viewing! We are also continuing our passport game, so bring back your passports or ask one of our staff for a new passport to win a prize! by @keebleobservatory

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10 days ago

Thank you everyone who came out on Thursday to attend our first public viewing of the fall semester! We have more fun events and viewings planned for this fall, so please check our social media every Thursday for updates. We are also continuing our passport game, so bring those passports back to win more prizes! We hope to see you at our next event! by @keebleobservatory

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15 days ago

We will be open tonight for our first observing event of the fall semester! Join us starting at 7:30 pm and make sure to ask about our new passport game and stickers! The entrance to the observatory is through the Caroline Street door. We hope to see you there! by @keebleobservatory

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17 days ago

We're open again for 2026! Our public observing nights will be on Thursdays from 7:30 - 9:30 PM, as the weather allows. These are free events, and no reservations are needed.

We have some great, free stickers to hand out, plus we are introducing the "Keeble Passport" (Image 2). Get the whole thing filled out and you'll get a fine art matte print of our observatory, done in the style of "Starry Night" (Image 3)! Please see an observatory assistant to get your passport stamped. Thanks to @korrinemaher for making these!

Hope to see you soon! by @keebleobservatory

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20 days ago

We are officially closed and on Summer break! Thanks to everyone who came to visit during the year. We’ll be open again in September.

I wanted to say thank you to all of our Keeble assistants who helped run our observing sessions! A special thanks to students Nick Rabius, who volunteered his time to make our amazing stickers, Ben Turner, who ran our Instagram account and is transferring VCU this Fall, and Savannah Jones, our lead assistant worker, who helped organize our observing nights.

See you all in the Fall! by @keebleobservatory

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5 months ago

We are unfortunately closed again this week. It is too cloudy for us to open for the public viewing. by @keebleobservatory

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5 months ago

Keeble Observatory will be closed for our public viewing night (5/14/2026). There are just too many clouds! Check back in next week for our last public viewing before our students' summer break! by @keebleobservatory

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5 months ago

☁️Unfortunately we are closed today as it is too cloudy, but we hope to see you soon🩷 by @keebleobservatory

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5 months ago