Leander McCormick Observatory 26-inch Alvan Clark Refractor

The University of Virginia operates a 26-inch (0.67-meter) telescope at the McCormick Observatory, located on the campus of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.

The telescope is an astrometric refractor, originally given to the University as a gift from Leander McCormick and dedicated in 1885. The telescope was the primary research instrument and was used for astrometry into the 1990‘s. In recent years, however, extensive hardware upgrades and instrumentation efforts have transformed the observatory into a more modern facility (while still preserving the historical integrity of the observatory) capable of optical CCD imaging and spectroscopy in conjunction with courses and public outreach programs, with most research being moved to the Fan Mountain Observatory located south of Charlottesville.

More detailed information about the telescope and available instrumentation can be found by following the links above.