Welcome to the Allan I. Carswell Astronomical Observatory
Located on the York University campus in Toronto, Canada, the Allan I. Carswell Observatory supports student learning and research and is a hub for public engagement and outreach. It is home to a one-metre telescope – the largest telescope on a university campus in all of Canada – and a 60-centimetre Cassegrain, both equipped with state-of-the-art electronic cameras. As well, the Observatory has five 20-centimetre telescopes available for outdoor viewing during special celestial events.
The Observatory offers a variety of free programming for the public, including public viewing sessions, group tours, our online radio show, online public viewing, and more.
Have you ever wondered what the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) looks like as viewed from another telescope? Wonder no more! Here is a video compiled by our observatory team of the JWST moving along its orbit all the way out at L2 (Lagrange Point 2, about 1 million miles away from Earth). The images were taken January 15, 2023 by Sunna Withers and Zena Khadour and reduced/compiled by Sunna Withers. Credit: AICO, Sunna Withers, Zena Khadour
Upcoming Events
OBSERVATORY IMAGES
Explore images taken by our telescope, from seasonal objects to solar system galleries.
Latest News
New Observatory Domes at York University Will Improve Night Sky Viewing
Watch the installation of our new Observatory domes.
Tour the Original Domes
Interested to see what the original 1960s domes at the Allan I. Carswell Observatory looked like? Take a 360 degree virtual tour.