SCIENCETECH · OBSERVATORY
Hartung–Boothroyd Observatory
Science & Tech
1
Hartung–Boothroyd Observatory, on Mount Pleasant near Cornell University outside Ithaca, New York, is primarily a teaching observatory for advanced undergraduate astronomy rather than a major research center. Its name joins M. John Hartung, whose financial support aided the project, with Samuel L. Boothroyd, founder of Cornell’s Department of Astronomy. The observatory was designed and directed by James R. Houck from 1974 to 2012. Its defining instrument centers on a 0.6-meter mirror first cast as a Pyrex test for Palomar Observatory’s 200-inch telescope. Polished and mounted in the late 1930s, the telescope was delayed by World War II until the completed facility finally opened in 1974.
FIND IT
Dryden, New York
CITY · 1 STOPSExplore Dryden, New York
Hear every story as you drive
4.8 Stars · 800+ Ratings
© 2026 MainEngine