The Eileen M. Collins Observatory is a small astronomical observatory

Observatory

An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geology, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed...

 operated by Corning Community College

Corning Community College

Corning Community College in the U.S. state of New York was initiated in 1957 and moved to its Spencer Hill campus in 1963. This two-year college serves three counties: Steuben, Chemung, and Schuyler...

 in Corning, New York

Corning (town), New York

Corning is a town in Steuben County, New York, USA. The town is in the eastern part of the county and borders the city of Corning. The town population was 6,426 at the 2000 census...

. It is named for astronaut Eileen Collins

Eileen Collins

Eileen Marie Collins is a retired American astronaut and a retired U.S. Air Force Colonel. A former military instructor and test pilot, Collins was the first female pilot and first female commander of a Space Shuttle. She was awarded several medals for her work. Col. Collins has logged 38 days 8...

. The observatory is primarily used to teach astronomy classes, but the college also provides weekly viewing sessions for the public.

The observatory is equipped with reflecting telescope

Reflecting telescope

A reflecting telescope is an optical telescope which uses a single or combination of curved mirrors that reflect light and form an image. The reflecting telescope was invented in the 17th century as an alternative to the refracting telescope which, at that time, was a design that suffered from...

s ranging from four inches to 20 inches in diameter. The largest telescope is a one-tenth scale model of the Hale telescope

Hale telescope

The Hale Telescope is a , 3.3 reflecting telescope at the Palomar Observatory in California, named after astronomer George Ellery Hale. With funding from the Rockefeller Foundation, he orchestrated the planning, design, and construction of the observatory, but did not live to see its commissioning...

 at Mount Palomar

Palomar Mountain

Palomar Mountain is a mountain in the Peninsular Ranges in northern San Diego County. It is famous as the location of the Palomar Observatory and Hale Telescope, and known for the Palomar Mountain State Park.-History:...

. The smaller telescopes were assembled by the Elmira-Corning Astronomical Society. Additionally, the observatory maintains an eight-inch Schmidt–Cassegrain telescope and a solar telescope

Solar telescope

A solar telescope is a special purpose telescope used to observe the Sun. Solar telescopes usually detect light with wavelengths in, or not far outside, the visible spectrum.-Professional solar telescopes:...

.