U S Naval Observatory

I did a tour of the US Naval Observatory when I was young, and I remembered it being really fun. So when I moved to the DC area, I kept my eye on their website to sign up for a tour. However, the tours are infrequent, and you have to regularly check the website in the hopes that tour dates are posted. Once tour dates are posted, you submit can your request for your entire group (names and DOBs). Tours are free and start at 8:30pm (you need to arrive between 8 and 8:20), and the email stated that the tour runs until 10:15; however, we went a bit past 10:30pm. There is ample parking, and the easiest way to reach this place at night is to drive.
It took us a few minutes to get into the gate and through the security. Our group had maybe 30 – 40 people in it, and the group split in half. Other reviewers mentioned children– luckily, our group had none. I wouldn’t recommend the tour for children. The tour had three parts. First, we learned about the history of the US Naval Observatory and navigation/​time/​astronomy, and got a tour of their library. Second, we saw 3 different views of the moon through one of their telescopes. Third, we had a talk about clock and time. Our tour leader was awesome– he really knew his stuff, and had a lot of interesting things to say. Additionally, a researcher for John Hopkins was helping out with our group, and he offered to answer any questions we had about atomic clocks and the like, which was pretty cool.
Overall, I enjoyed the tour. However, I wish they had tours more often and an easier sign-​up system. Also, as another reviewer mentioned, there is a lot of standing in hot rooms. I was interested for the clock talk at the end, but standing to listen to it after 10pm in a hot room made it difficult for me to listen with my full attention. Other than that, I enjoyed the tour and I’d definitely come back if I had the opportunity!

The Naval Observatory gave ultra-​accurate information about where and when the lunar eclipse would end totality, which is a different set of information at different locations around the world.
In Fremont, CA, there were clouds drifting south of my location. Large hills surrounding the valley of San Francisco Bay kept the lowest altitudes above the horizon invisible. In short, we saw nothing at the start of the eclipse. We thought maybe we would see a blood moon during the totality, but it didn’t happen since the thin clouds were still dissipating.
My wife thought that the shopping center parking lot away from the hills was not a good location; so we moved to a park by Lake Elizabeth around 7:30 p.m. PDT. The good part is that I stood in a field rather dark but with trees in various directions where I could see the general azimuth and elevation predicted. I was searching and searching, and then RIGHT ON SCHEDULE the lighted moon (only a tiny bead of it) appeared. It was actually higher in the sky than I expected. I had no instruments to find the direction or the altitude above the horizon. At least I knew from the Naval Observatory data, provided via NPR National Public Radio to my cell phone, the general area to be looking. I could see that the numbers would clear above the hills (Mission Peak is about 2500 feet tall) and I could see traffic on Interstate 680 coming down out of the Sunol Grade that I was looking sufficiently far south of east. There it was, «Moon Out», almost like the thrill I have seen in movies of solar eclipses. Six cars in the Fremont Central Park all started honking.
We stayed in our driveway at home as the moon regained its fullness. It seemed to us that there was a bright white circle around the outer edge of the moon we saw, except maybe not at the area that was last removed from the earth’s shadow. I do have a theory about how that greater brightness occurs. It wasn’t my perceptual imagination, I believe.

No tours are available until futher notice. Pity! Had to give 1 start solely for this reason.

I don’t want to sound ungrateful but I also want to give a honest review. Yes, the tour is free and the US Naval Observatory is historic, but I found the tour to be a bit unsatisfying.
I am a geek and I love learning about the Universe. I wanted to see if I could check out a local observatory to see some celestial bodies up close. I guess it was my fault with not keeping up with the constellation but the only celestial body in plain view was Saturn (one of my favorite planets). However, with Saturn being so far away and the atmospheric turbulence, the image of Saturn through the telescope looked like a 2-​D, illuminated image they taped on to the other end of the telescope. Again, my fault for not researching what celestial bodies would be view-​able around this time. However, while not as exciting, I think a view of the moon would have been a bit more worthwhile. We would have been able to actually see a celestial body in all its glory.
One thing that I didn’t realize is that when you sign up for a tour to use the telescope you will:
1) Have to share the telescope with 40+ other individuals (in a short period of time)… this includes kids. Trained and untrained. They do split the visitors up into two groups. However, because two groups need to use the telescope, it doesn’t necessarily give you more time.
2) Have to stand around a lot. The tour takes for-​ev-​er. Before you can use the telescope you have to STAND UP and listening to the history of the Naval Observatory and how they created the first ‘clocks’. While this information is fascinating, I rather read about it than stand up for 30 minutes in a hot room with 40 strangers. Also, after you get to look through the telescope… guess what? Another tour… this time of the Naval Observatory Library. While I thought this was interesting, at this point I just wanted to go home because I’ve been there for almost two hours by then.
3) Have to be out late on a weekday. While this is understandable, I felt like the tour could have been a lot shorter if they did things a bit more efficiently. And btw, if you feel tired and want to leave early it will be a bit hard to separate from the group since security is tight here.
Overall, I would come again when I know that some closer celestial bodies are in the telescopes reach. I wish they would have a separate tour for families and a tour for adults, I would much rather attend sans children and with a smaller group. But hey, it’s free so why not?

Great free tour of a unique DC landmark. The tour covered the Library, Observatory and the history behind the Atomic clock. All the tour giudes were retired workers or history buff from there and was very interesting. Could see the VPs house lit up at night but couldnt use the telescope due to the clouds. Recommend going in the Summer when youre chances are better. We dressed appropriately for the cold weather as you will be walking around outside between buildings. Well worth the FREE tour.