Martz-Kohl Observatory

Join Dr. Alexandra Yep at the Martz-Kohl Observatory on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. EDT for her talk, “The Study of Stars: Tools of Discovery and How We Use Them,” which will take place live at the observatory and will also be streamed online via Zoom. This image highlights the incredible diversity of stellar lifecycles– from low-mass red dwarfs (left) to massive blue-white supergiants that can reach 150 solar masses (right). While our middle-weight Sun sits right in between, the bloated red giant (bottom) illustrates the dramatic expansion a star undergoes in diameter near the very end of its life.

🔭 Win a ZWO Seestar S30 Pro Smart Telescope! 🔭

The Martz-Kohl Observatory is raffling off a $700+ value ZWO Seestar S30 Pro — an all-in-one smart telescope that takes the guesswork out of astrophotography. No mounts to align, no manual focusing — just point it at the sky and let it do the work. Its onboard AI identifies what you’re looking at in real time, and it earned a CES Innovation Award for its educational tech. At just 3.6 lbs, it’s compact enough to grab and go, yet capable of capturing sharp, detailed images of galaxies, nebulae, star clusters, the Moon, and even the Sun — all controlled from your phone.

🎟️ Tickets are $10 each, with only 300 available! Drawing will be held on August 26, 2026

⚠️ Raffle Regulations & Eligibility:

• Age Requirement: Participants must be 18 years of age or older to purchase a ticket.
• In compliance with New York State Charitable Gaming laws, sales are limited to in-person transactions or designated offline methods within authorized local areas.
• How to Buy: Please visit the observatory during our public open hours or contact an active board member to secure your ticket(s). For local area residents who cannot make it to the observatory, you can coordinate an in-person or mail-order ticket pickup by reaching out to Andy Felong at andy@martzobservatory.org or via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andy.felong/. (Cash, check, or in-person mobile payment accepted).

Ja:no’s Bowen, a Seneca storyteller and Faith Keeper of the Cold Spring Longhouse, joins the Martz-Kohl Observatory to share the Haudenosaunee star legends passed down through generations. Her presentation explores how constellations like the Pleiades carry cultural values and history still meaningful to the Six Nations. Bowen has devoted her career to Seneca language reclamation and cultural preservation.

Upgrading Our Vision for the Future

Led by President Tom Traub, the Observatory is modernizing its technology to stay at the cutting edge of astronomy. We are currently in the process of “dialing-in” a powerful new Kepler KL4040FI camera and its associated software on the Martz 24″ telescope. This transition involves upgrading our entire imaging pipeline to ensure every component works in perfect harmony, replacing aging hardware with a system designed for the future.

Although we are still fine-tuning the setup, the initial results represent a significant leap forward. The new camera allows us to capture stunning cosmic details with much greater efficiency—often in a fraction of the time required by our previous equipment. By moving to this high-resolution technology, we are ensuring the observatory continues to provide a world-class view of the stars for our community.

As we continue to calibrate the system and refine our processes, we invite you to explore these early “test” images. They offer a glimpse of the incredible clarity and depth we can now achieve as we bring the universe into sharper focus than ever before.

Hover or tap images for details; click or tap again to enlarge.

Explore & Learn the Night Sky

Martz-Kohl Observatory member Andy Felong has developed two companion web resources that together offer a broad introduction to observational astronomy — from learning the constellations overhead to tracking down the galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters hiding within them. Both resources are free, educational, and non-commercial.

The Constellation Guide covers all 88 officially recognized constellations. It blends history, science and artistry with high-quality photography, official star charts, and a unique “Stars and Sticks” rendering that displays stars sized by magnitude and colored by spectral type. Star-hopping navigation guides help you find your way around the night sky, and a “Greek Sky Stories” section connects modern astronomy with the ancient mythological origins of the constellations. Explore the Constellation Guide →

The Deep-Sky Object Guide is the natural next step — once you know your way around the constellations, this companion resource helps you find what lies within them. It covers 219 galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters — from glowing clouds of gas where new stars are being born, to ancient globular clusters and island universes millions of light-years away — documented with ground-based imagery, finder charts, scientific data, and observing notes for visual observers and astrophotographers alike. Explore the Deep-Sky Object Guide →

Check Out Our Lecture Series Video Library!

We currently have a video library of over 50 presentations on a variety of topics, including the James Webb Space Telescope, black holes, cosmic origins, climate change, Mars rovers, astrophotography, telescopes, and even a doctoral defense. Speakers include NASA scientists, university professors in physics and astronomy, amateur astronomers, and observatory members.

Library Telescope Loan Program

The Martz-Kohl Observatory participates in the Library Telescope Program, placing telescopes in local public libraries so anyone can borrow a real telescope — free with their library card — just like checking out a book. A dozen area libraries across Chautauqua County and into Pennsylvania now take part, with more joining soon.

Learn more & Borrow a telescope — find a library near you →

Visit the Martz-Kohl Observatory Online Store!

The Martz-Kohl Observatory has partnered with Falconer Printing to provide merchandise with our logo.  Purchases can be shipped or picked-up locally. Some non-apparel items are for sale at the observatory. A portion of all proceeds is donated to the observatory.

Visitors Welcome!

The Martz-Kohl Observatory is happy to host groups of all sizes — scouts, school classes, civic organizations, clubs, and families are all invited to experience the wonders of the night sky.

Note: There is no need for a reservation for our Wednesday events – Open Observatory Night or Lecture Night!

Planning a family or small group visit?
→ Reserve a Family Visit

Bringing a school, scout troop or organization?
→ Schedule a Group Visit

Use our event calendar to learn about upcoming lectures and events
open to the public.
→ View Upcoming Events