TRAVERSE CITY — NMC’s Rogers Observatory will hold a special public viewing night in honor of its 45th anniversary and the college’s 75th from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17.
The observatory dome will be open and telescopes available for public viewing. Refreshments will also be available.
Located at 1753 Birmley Road, Rogers Observatory opened in 1981. It was founded and constructed completely from public donations, the result of a tireless effort by instructor the late Joseph H. Rogers to build a permanent home for what had been NMC’s “portable” telescope. Two local property owners each donate 2.5 acres for the Observatory on land with a 250’ elevation above the surrounding property. Some forty-plus businesses and 106 individuals contributed money, materials and labor to construct the observatory.
More than 100,000 community members have visited for regular public viewing nights as well as for special celestial events like comets Hale-Bopp and Hyakutake in 1996. The observatory hosted its largest crowds in August 2003, when Mars made its closest approach to Earth in more than 50,000 years.
Release date: OCTOBER 10, 2026
For more information:
Cari Noga
NMC Communications Director
cnoga@nmc.edu
(231) 392-1800 (Call or text)