Chabot Space and Science Center, Space observatory and planetarium in Oakland hills, United States
Chabot Space and Science Center is an observatory, planetarium and museum located in the Oakland hills of California. The facility houses several observation domes with telescopes of different sizes, along with exhibition halls containing meteorites, space equipment and interactive displays.
The observatory began in downtown Oakland in 1883 and was named after banker and philanthropist Anthony Chabot. The facility moved to its hillside location in 1915 to escape growing urban light interference and create better observation conditions.
Visitors can look through working historical telescopes during Friday evening public viewing sessions. The center serves as a gathering place where families and school groups come to explore hands-on exhibits about space and planetary science.
The facility sits in the wooded hills east of downtown and can be reached via winding mountain roads. Visitors should plan at least two to three hours for a complete tour of exhibits, planetarium show and telescope viewing.
The facility houses one of the oldest operating refractor telescopes on the West Coast, observing the sky for over a century. A special transit telescope is used to make precise time measurements for the entire Bay Area.
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