About the Observatory

The original NTHU Observatory was established in 1971 by Professor Hong-Yee Chiu, who returned from the United States to teach at the Physics Department of National Tsing Hua University. Together with a group of motivated students, he ground an 8-inch Newtonian mirror, built a mirror grinding machine, and later completed a 16-inch Cassegrain reflector — entirely by hand.

In November 1971, all instruments atop the old Physics Building were installed and calibrated, and the founding meeting of the Astronomy Club was held. The observatory and the club were inseparable in those early years.

In 1988, the old Physics Building was demolished and the department relocated to its current location beside the sports field. The observatory was rebuilt in 1991 through the efforts of Professors Chun-shan Shen and Dean-Yi Chou, returning to Physics Department management and formally separating from the Astronomy Club.

After more than two decades of use, the facility fell into disrepair. In 2018, then-department chair Ite A. Yu initiated a major renovation campaign with alumni from the class of 1978. Under the planning of Professor Shih-Ping Lai of the Institute of Astronomy, the equatorial mount and dome were fully renovated in May 2019.

In 2020, the observatory launched its Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube channels. As one of Taiwan's benchmarks for astronomical science education, it houses the largest aperture refractor in Taiwan — a 25 cm (10-inch) refractor — and continues to serve the public through guided visits, open days, and online resources.

Written by 陳文心 · November 2020