Chabot Space and Science Center Upgrades Oakland Hills Observatory Domes With Deep-Sky CMOS Imaging

Observatory engineers and staff astronomers at the Chabot Space and Science Center in the Oakland hills completed a precision optical and digital-imaging modernization across the center's three historic research domes at 10000 Skyline Boulevard on Friday evening, just in time for the clear autumn opposition windows of Saturn and Jupiter. Partnering with optical instrumentation specialists from the East Bay Astronomical Society and UC Berkeley Space Sciences Laboratory, technicians cleaned and recollimated the primary lenses and mirrors on "Leah" (the 1883 Alvan Clark 8-inch refractor), "Rachel" (the 1914 Warner & Swasey 20-inch refractor), and "Nellie" (the 36-inch Cassegrain reflector), while outfitting the auxiliary ports with back-illuminated, thermoelectrically cooled CMOS astrophotography cameras.

During free Friday and Saturday evening public telescope viewings from 7:30 PM to 10:30 PM, visitors can still peer directly through the traditional optical eyepieces while live, real-time stacked color images of faint nebulae, globular star clusters, and planetary cloud bands are simultaneously streamed to high-contrast 4K monitors on the wheelchair-accessible observation deck. That dual optical-and-digital architecture ensures that visitors unable to climb the historic telescope viewing ladders—as well as student groups waiting on the deck—experience crisp real-time views of deep-sky targets.

Inside the 36-inch Nellie reflector dome, Chabot's high school Galaxy Explorers youth interns will also use the upgraded high-frame-rate sensor to conduct Minor Planet Center astrometric tracking of near-Earth asteroids and exoplanet transit light-curve measurements during late-night research blocks. New low-glare amber LED pathway lighting was installed along the redwood deck connecting the domes to the NASA Ames Visitor Center galleries.

The $195,000 observatory dome and instrumentation upgrade was funded through a Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation science-engagement grant matched by City of Oakland cultural facility funds. Families can check weekend weather-permitting dome status and reserve free deck viewing passes on the Chabot Space and Science Center Observatory Portal.