Dyer Observatory

The Dyer Observatory operates a 24-inch reflecting telescope named after astronomer Carl Seyfert, housed within a 24-foot-wide dome atop a Nashville peak.

Following the inadequate performance of Vanderbilt's first campus observatory, Carl Seyfert led fundraising efforts from 80 businesses to construct Dyer Observatory in 1953.

The observatory combines science with arts through regular outdoor concerts featuring performers from the Bluebird Cafe from May through October.

The facility requires advance tickets for all events, including telescope nights, educational programs, and summer space camps for students in grades 5 through 8.

The observatory's dome underwent repainting from aluminum to white in 1963 to reduce temperature variations that affected telescope observations.

Location: Brentwood

Inception: 1953

Elevation above the sea: 351.6 m

Address: 1000 Oman Dr, Brentwood, TN 37027

Phone: +16153734897

Email: dyerobservatory@vanderbilt.edu

Website: https://dyer.vanderbilt.edu

GPS coordinates: 36.05222,-86.80500

Latest update: March 18, 2025 07:52