UTC Clarence T. Jones Observatory

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UTC Clarence T. Jones Observatory The UTC Clarence T. Jones Observatory serves the Chattanooga community with astronomy outreach. Jones Observatory is part of the UTC campus.

It's mission is to provide astronomy and related outreach to the Chattanooga community. Join us for free public Star Parties on Sunday nights during the spring and fall semesters. Information about those free events will be posted here. During our Star Parties we will have free lectures and planetarium shows and the historic telescope will be available to look through (weather permitting). The Obs

ervatory is also the home of the Barnard Astronomical Society. It is located 4.5 miles east of the UTC campus at 10 Tuxedo Avenue, north of Brainerd Road and Belvoir Ave. If you have trouble with the path up the front entrance, feel free to park in the parking lot behind Brainerd United Methodist Church. Walk up the trail by the cemetery and use the back entrance.

Did you know? The basement of the observatory was once a well-known location for amateur telescope making in the southea...
19/08/2026

Did you know? The basement of the observatory was once a well-known location for amateur telescope making in the southeast.

Did you know? UTC astronomy professor and observatory directory Dr. Karel Hujer (between 1946 and 1973) was also a membe...
12/08/2026

Did you know? UTC astronomy professor and observatory directory Dr. Karel Hujer (between 1946 and 1973) was also a member of the Royal Astronomical Society of London, which included notable scientists such as William and Caroline Herchel, Albert Einstein, and Stephen Hawking.

Did you know? Most modern planetarium domes are made of thin perforated aluminum panels but the 24-foot dome in the obse...
05/08/2026

Did you know? Most modern planetarium domes are made of thin perforated aluminum panels but the 24-foot dome in the observatory is constructed of 4-inch-thick solid plaster.

Did you know: The historic mirrors were originally coated in silver rather than aluminum? Silver tarnishes more easily a...
28/07/2026

Did you know: The historic mirrors were originally coated in silver rather than aluminum? Silver tarnishes more easily and that is why aluminum is used today. Check out the new coating on our historic mirror!

Did you know? Jack Pitkin recently retired after serving as the observatory director for about 20 years, which was the s...
21/07/2026

Did you know? Jack Pitkin recently retired after serving as the observatory director for about 20 years, which was the second longest tenure after Dr. Karel Hujer, who served for almost 30 years (1946-1973).

Did you know? The planetarium was added on to the original 1936 building in 1958 thanks to an anonymous donation.
14/07/2026

Did you know? The planetarium was added on to the original 1936 building in 1958 thanks to an anonymous donation.

Did you know? The Pyrex glass for the historic telescope mirrors are from Corning Glass Works in New York and was primar...
30/06/2026

Did you know? The Pyrex glass for the historic telescope mirrors are from Corning Glass Works in New York and was primarily ground and polished in the basement of the observatory by Clarence T. Jones and his son Arthur.

Did you know?The historic telescope weighs approximately 2.5 tons (~5,000 lbs.) and is supported by a 4-foot diameter co...
26/06/2026

Did you know?The historic telescope weighs approximately 2.5 tons (~5,000 lbs.) and is supported by a 4-foot diameter concrete pier that goes all the way down through the building into bedrock.

Did you know? During “Operation Moonwatch”, volunteers with the Barnard Astronomical Society used small, specialized tel...
22/06/2026

Did you know? During “Operation Moonwatch”, volunteers with the Barnard Astronomical Society used small, specialized telescopes on the roof of the observatory to track artificial satellites from the late 1950s until the early 1970s.

Did you know? The glass for the primary mirror of historic telescope is 20.5-inches in diameter, 4-inches thick, and wei...
22/06/2026

Did you know? The glass for the primary mirror of historic telescope is 20.5-inches in diameter, 4-inches thick, and weighs 102 pounds.

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TN

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(423) 425-4278

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