Westbank Optimist Club Observatory

Welcome to the Westbank Optimist Club

Gretna City Park Observatory

Open most Monday and Wednesday Evenings Dusk until 9:00 p.m.

Free Admission

Educational and Fun for All Ages!

Excellent for School groups and Scout Troops!

The Gretna Observatory is the largest public observatory in the Greater New Orleans area. It was built to promote a greater interest in astronomy. It was especially designed to be an educational benefit to school age children and young adults from local schools by creating an awareness and interest in astronomy, science, and technology. The Observatory first opened its doors to the public in late October of 2004.

The Gretna Observatory is located at #1 Copernicus Lane behind Gretna Jr. High on Gretna Blvd. between Lafayette St. and Manhattan Blvd. Copernicus Lane also continues across Gretna Blvd. turning into Huey P. Long Ave. It is open to the general public with free admission and parking every Monday and Wednesday evening at dusk except for major holidays and as always weather permitting. Partly cloudy evenings will be determinable by the observatory operator if sky conditions will allow any or limited observing. Visitors may phone ahead at 504-227-7624 to check current sky status and inquire what objects are available for observing.

The observatory offers viewing through a pier mounted GPS/Go-To computer controlled 16 inch Meade LX-200GPS f/10 catadioptric type telescope better known as a Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope or SCT. It is housed under a traditional 16 foot diameter 360^o^{rotational aluminum dome. Typical astronomical objects of interest pending on availability in the night sky include our Moon, the planets Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, various nebulae, double stars, star clusters, constellations, etc.}

^{Other associated optical equipment include a piggybacked Stellarvue 80mm refractor telescope, Orion 7x50 binoculars, a plain or "white" light solar filter for safely observing the sun through the Meade 16" SCT as well as a Coronado Solar Max 60T hydrogen-alpha telescope for viewing the Sun in it's natural "hydrogen-alpha" waves yielding more of the sun's features with greater detail.}

^{School groups and Scout groups as well as any other organizational groups with an interest in using the facility are welcomed and encouraged to schedule special observing sessions and star parties.}

^{Contact Observatory Manager Mike Sandras at: astrox@ix.net to schedule events and for any other information about the Gretna Observatory.}

News & Notices

Gretna City Park Observatory
Published: Saturday, July 26, 2008
Visit the Stars in Gretna! Our Observatory is sponsored by the Westbank Optimist Club and open most Mondays and Wednesdays from dusk to 9:00 p.m.

Contact Us

Physical Address:
2nd St. at Huey P. Long

Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 404
Gretna, LA 70054-0404

Telephone Number: (504) 363-1500

Fax Number: (504) 363-1509

Subcategories

Westbank Optimist Club Observatory

Rockin on the River Fall Concert Series

Gretna BMX Raceway

New Orleans Rugby Club

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