Haystack Observatory
Haystack Observatory is a multidisciplinary radio science center, ionospheric observatory, and astronomical microwave observatory owned by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).[1] It is in Westford, Massachusetts, in the United States, about 45 kilometers (28 mi) northwest of Boston. The observatory was built by MIT's Lincoln Laboratory for the United States Air Force and was called the Haystack Microwave Research Facility.[2] Construction began in 1960, and the antenna began operating in 1964. In 1970 the facility was transferred to MIT, which then formed the Northeast Radio Observatory Corporation (NEROC) with other universities to operate the site as the Haystack Observatory. As of January 2012, a total of nine institutions participated in NEROC.[3]
Alternative names
MIT Haystack Observatory
131 m (430 ft)
1960 
- Haystack Radio Telescope
- Westford Radio Telescope
- Millstone Hill Observatory
The Haystack Observatory site is also the location of the Millstone Hill Geospace Facility, an atmospheric-sciences research center.[4] Lincoln Laboratory continues to use the site, which it calls the Lincoln Space Surveillance Complex (LSSC).[5] The George R. Wallace Astrophysical Observatory of MIT's Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences is south of the Haystack dome and east of the Westford dome.[6] The Amateur Telescope Makers of Boston has its clubhouse on the MIT property.[7]
Haystack Vallis on Mercury is named after this observatory.
Directors[edit]
Paul B. Sebring was the Haystack Observatory's director from 1970 to 1980.[21] From 1980 to 1983 John V. Evans was the director. Joseph E. Salah was the director from 1983 to 2006, Alan R. Whitney was the interim director from 2006 to 2008. Colin J. Lonsdale was the director from 1 September 2008 to 31 December 2023. Philip J. Erickson became the new director on 1 January 2024.[22]
Exhibits[edit]
The Sun Drawing Exhibit[edit]
The Sun Drawing art exhibit at the Haystack Observatory was conceived and developed as part of the Global Sun Drawing Project by visual artist Janet Saad-Cook.[23][24] "Sun Drawings" are projected images created by reflecting sunlight from a variety of materials that are strategically positioned to relate to their specific location on Earth. The reflections change shape and color in relation to the position of the Sun, creating a four-dimensional artwork of varying reflections throughout the day and year. Similar installations for the Global Sun Drawing Project have been planned at other astronomically significant locations worldwide, including an exhibit at the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array in New Mexico.[25][26]
