Friends of the Observatory (FOTO)

Friends of the Observatory (FOTO) is the Observatory’s amateur astronomy group. FOTO has been integral to the organization since the inception of the Cincinnati Observatory Center in 1999. Along with several neighbors and community members, FOTO members helped save the Observatory from potential demolition, as the Center shifted its mission to one of preservation and education. 

FOTO members host a meeting on the 2nd Monday of each month featuring an astronomy topic and speaker (see details for next meeting below), and all Observatory members are invited. In addition, FOTO hosts social events including a holiday dinner and an annual picnic. All Observatory members are welcome to participate in FOTO activities and programs as a benefit of membership. It's a great group for all, especially those wanting to learn more about astronomy and space science!

FOTO leadership this year includes: 

FOTO helps in several areas, including giving tours of the Observatory, leading programming, conducting historical research, and planning the 2nd Monday FOTO meetings, which again are open to all Observatory members. FOTO also runs the Stonelick Stargazers dark sky viewing events at Stonelick State Park. The group is a great support to the organization, sharing the wonders of the universe with thousands of people every year alongside Observatory staff.

To join as a member and participate in all that the Observatory - and FOTO - have to offer, click here! 

Next Meeting:

Blazars, Quasars, and AGN

Dr. Wes Ryle

Cincinnati Observatory Astronomer

Monday, November 10, 7:30pm

Join Dr. Wes Ryle as he discusses his dissertation work on blazars, a subclass of objects known as quasars, or active galactic nuclei (AGN). These luminous objects are now known to be associated with the relativistic jets and accretion disks of supermassive black holes at the centers of distant galaxies. Dr. Ryle's work focused on long-term monitoring of the brightness variability of these objects, examining if the "flickering" of these objects correlates to the mass and size of the host galaxy's black hole. We'll also take a look at how modern observations are helping to expand on this work.