The observatory is hidden among 400 Valencia orange trees in the 5-acre Orange Grove on the California State University Northridge campus. The San Fernando Observatory (SBO) is known for its unusual history and its use today by university professors, solar researchers and students who study the Sun.
The San Fernando Observatory was originally built by the Aerospace Corporation on land between the 5 freeway and O’Melveny Park, walking distance from Granada Hills North. Then the devastating 1971 Sylmar earthquake hit, killing 65 people, leaving $500 million in property damage, and damaging the observatory. After the quake, Aerospace Corporation donated the observatory’s dome and telescopes to CSUN, then known as San Fernando Valley State College.
“Fortunately, CSUN saw value in keeping the long-running (38 years) photometry program going and provided the funds, combined with some private donations, to build a small observatory on campus to house the two photometric telescopes” said Angela Cookson, a research associate with the department of physics and astronomy at CSUN. “The San Fernando Observatory was re-dedicated in 2016 and the photometry program has continued.”
Angela Cookson, a research associate at the solar observatory at CSUN, works at the Curtis Full Disk Solar Telescope on Friday, July 25, 2025. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG) Angela Cookson, a research associate at the solar observatory at CSUN, works at the Curtis Full Disk Solar Telescope on Friday, July 25, 2025. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG) A sun dial sits outside of the solar observatory at CSUN. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG) Angela Cookson, a research associate at the solar observatory at CSUN, looks at images from the Curtis Full Disk Solar Telescope on Friday, July 25, 2025. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG) Show Caption1 of 4Angela Cookson, a research associate at the solar observatory at CSUN, works at the Curtis Full Disk Solar Telescope on Friday, July 25, 2025. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG) ExpandAs Cookson explains, photometry is the craft of measuring the intensity of light from astronomical objects, which helps astronomers determine the brightness of stars, galaxies, and other celestial bodies, allowing them to study their properties and behaviors.
“The observatory has been used by countless CSUN professors, solar researchers, and students, to study various aspects of the Sun, including magnetic fields, solar flares, and sunspots, in hopes of gaining a better understanding of how the Sun works,” Cookson said.
The Orange Grove surrounding the observatory is a prominent landmark as well, a reminder of San Fernando Valley’s agricultural past.
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