CAA Observatory

CAA Observatory - Photo by Alan Studt
CAA Observatory – Photo by Alan Studt

The Cuyahoga Astronomical Association Observatory and how to get there…

The CAA observatory was dedicated July 21, 2001 and is located at Medina County’s Letha House Park, near Medina, Ohio. Many years of effort went into making the dream of a permanent club observatory a reality.

Our observatory houses three club-owned telescopes:

  • An eight-inch, f/6.5 Meade SCT on a Losmandy G-11 equatorial mount;
  • A 12-inch, f/10 Meade LXD 200 SCT on a go-to equatorial elevator mount;
  • A 10-inch LX-200 Meade Classic. The telescopes are available for member use (see rules below) following completion of free observatory training. The observatory is operated in cooperation with the Medina County Park District which owns the property.

Google Map to CAA Observatory
5800-5994 Richman Road – Just North of Spencer Lake Road
Spencer, OH 44275

LATITUDE: 41.113413
LONGITUDE: -82.061010
ELEVATION: 1,005 ft.

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CAA Observatory Public Nights

We have a number of summer nights from spring into fall.    You can find details on our Public Events page:

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Attending a Public Night?

Many times during the year, and following public programs, members of the CAA bring their telescopes out and allow the general public to view lunar, planetary, and deep sky objects. It is a great opportunity to look through different telescopes and compare them. Public Nights are outdoor events so attendees should be prepared for seasonal variations in temperature and general conditions. Telescope use depends upon skies clear enough for us to see celestial objects — overcast conditions will cancel any viewing, though an indoor program will be presented as an alternative. Of course, nighttime means darkness, so be careful when walking around the star party area; avoid stumbling for your own safety and to prevent damage to telescopes! If you need to bring a flashlight, bring one that shines red light if possible or, at the very least, point the light beam at the ground just ahead of you not towards the telescopes. Bright white light can ruin dark-adapted vision and our view of a beautiful night!

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Presentations are for individuals ages 10 to adult.
Cancellations will only be made in the case of severe thunderstorms.
No registration required.
There is no fee to attend.

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How to get there:

From the North or South:

  • Take I-71 to the Brunswick exit (Exit 226 / State Route 303).
  • At the end of the ramp, turn West onto Rt. 303.
  • Take Rt. 303 West to Rt. 83. Turn left onto Rt. 83 (South).
  • Follow Rt. 83 past Rt. 18 to Spencer Lake Road.
  • Turn right onto Spencer Lake Road (West).
  • Take Spencer Lake Road to Richman Road and turn right. Up the rise and on the left (west) side of the road is the entry drive to the parking lot serving the Observatory and lake area. The drive and entry were newly created in 2009.

From the East:

  • Take your best route to Rt. 83. Turn onto Rt. 83.
  • Follow Rt. 83 to Spencer Lake Road (see map for directions).
  • Turn onto Spencer Lake Road (West).
  • Take Spencer Lake Road to Richman Road and turn right. Up the rise and on the left (west) side of the road is the entry drive to the parking lot serving the Observatory and lake area. The drive and entry were newly created in 2009.