Gallery

The Clay Center Observatory's main instrument is this reflector with a 25-inch (0.64-m) aperture.
The Clay Center for Science & Technology has a commanding view from its site near Boston.
As part of the Dexter and Southfield Schools, the observatory gets frequent use by students.

In 2005 the Clay Center directed a powerful laser toward the International Space Station to study atmospheric turbulence.
A remarkable Clay Center view of the International Space Station and an attached Space Shuttle.
The Clay Center's telescopes recorded SpaceShipOne from 70,000 feet (21.3 km) away.

The observatory's image of the Orion Nebula brings out colors the human eye cannot see.
Difficult to see visually, the North America Nebula is stunning in this Clay Center image.
CCO director Ron Dantowitz traveled to Florida to capture the Moon grazing past Mars in July 2003.

Ron Dantowitz and Marek Kozubal preparing for the Stardust reentry mission.
The Clay Center Observatory setup in Guatemala for the reentry of STS-116 in December 2006.
This portable dome protects the Clay Center's portable telescopes from weather extremes.

The state-of-the-art control center inside the Clay Center Observatory van.
The Clay Center telescopes traveled to Italy to record this transit of Venus across the Sun in June 2004.
Southfield student Danielle Townsend joined the observatory team and NASA researchers during an airborne meteor study in 2007.