University of Saskatchewan Observatory

The observatory facilities at the University of Saskatchewan are available to all university students, as well as the public. Students can use telescopes and other scientific instruments during their laboratory portions of courses. The observatory is open to all ages, including elementary and high schools. The Observatory is open to the public every Saturday night, where visitors can view celestial objects using the telescope. It was built in two stages between 1928-1930 at an estimated cost of $23,000, and private donations were used to supplement university funding. The observatory dome still has a plaque that lists the names of donors. Many of these names are still easily recognizable by Saskatoon residents. Inside the observatory is a 3-meter-long refracting telescope and a 6-inch lens. Staff will aim the telescope towards seasonal objects on clear Saturdays (1st and 3rd weekends of each month). Staff also presents an educational slide presentation on cloudy nights that showcases objects from our solar system and galaxy. On these Saturday nights, planets, stars clusters, and galaxies are all possible to be seen at the appropriate times. A small museum also resides at the Observatory, and they offer a guided tour of our solar systems. The museum likewise has exhibits that detail the history, fundamentals, and mysteries of Astronomy, including black holes.