85° 24' 13" +42° 54' 16"
The JAMES C. VEEN OBSERVATORY, located south of Lowell, Michigan is owned and operated by the Grand Rapids Amateur Astronomical Association. It was built entirely by the members over a five-year span in the late 1960's, and became fully operational in 1970. The building consists of 2 Ash Domes, which contain the following equipment:
West (large) Dome:
The 16-inch is also outfitted for solar use with a Daystar Hydrogen-Alpha filter.East (small) Dome:
There are also 3 telescopes that may be attached to the main instruments if needed:
The 4-inch is also used as a white-light solar telescope.
There is also a 17-inch Dobsonian located on the grounds for general viewing purposes.
The Observatory has a large meeting room, an extensive library in the lower level, and an audio-visual system for presentations to both the members and the public.