The Kopernik Space Education Center is an observatory in Vestal, New York, where children receive an education about astronomy and science. Following the 500th anniversary of the famous astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus (called Mikolaj Kopernik in Polish) in 1973, it was built by the Kopernik Society of Broome County and opened to the public in June of 1974. The state-of-the-art observatory boasts three large telescopes, including a 6" Astrophysics Refractor, 14" Celestron Schmidt-Cassegrain, and a 20" Ritchey-Chretien telescope. This impressive observatory, coupled with numerous smaller telescopes and educational facilities, make Kopernik one of the best public observatories in the Northeastern United States. It has a pool of students called the Kopernik Talent Search that take classes on Friday nights and Saturdays. During the week local schools have field trips, where students can safely observe the sun and see planets in the daytime. Kopernik also has a large summer program that includes one and two week residential institutes for middle school and high school students. Roberson, a local museum who provided funding for Kopernik, was seriously considering cutting major funding and programs. However, the Kopernik Society of Broome County stepped in and negotiated this matter with Roberson Museum and Science Center. Currently, ownership and operation of the Kopernik Space Education Center has been transferred from Roberson Museum back to the Kopernik Society. The Observatory is now seeking funding from industry and governmental agencies.
