Astronomy Labs
At Furman, we believe the world should be a living classroom. Our astronomy labs make that happen. Whether you’re visiting our off-campus observatory or utilizing one of our telescopes in Townes Science Center, we can transform the night sky into your classroom.
Our off-campus observatory has two buildings, one that serves as an office and one that has a roll-away roof that houses our telescopes, a Celestron 14"f/11 Schmidt-Cassegrain and the Roper Mountain Astronomy Club's Meade 12" LX200 f/10 Schmidt-Cassegrain. You'll likely find yourself visiting the observatory when you’re conducting independent research.
If you’re not busy using our facilities in the summer, you might find yourself at the Pisgah Astronomical Institute in North Carolina or the Very Large Array in New Mexico. Our faculty collaborate with researchers at those facilities—and often bring their students.
Directions to our off-campus observatory: Travel north from Furman University on US Hwy 276 (Poinsett Highway) and exit onto North US Hwy 25 in Travelers Rest. Travel north on Hwy 25 for another 12 miles (about 15 minutes of drive time) and exit onto SC Hwy 11. Turn left (west, over the bridge) on Hwy 11 and travel 2.8 miles. The entry driveway to the observatory is on the right and passes through a double steel gate into the forest on a one-lane road. The observatory compound is less than one quarter of a mile from the highway. Parking is limited within the compound, more is available below the compound. Google maps directions.