Roane State Community College

334 Caney Creek Road
Rockwood, TN 37854-4604
Phone (865) 927-5155
Campus Director: David Fields, PhD
Send questions to David Fields

Tamke-Allan Observatory hosts free Public Stargazes on selected dark and starry evenings as announced at on the OBS website and via emails to local astronomers. These stargazes have opened the night skies, free of charge to everyone, for almost 10 years. Amateur astronomers bring telescopes and binoculars and offer views of astronomical objects, while visitors are invited to bring their questions and cameras and meet the astronomers.

Check out our calendar here for availability.

More Details and Information

For TAO Public Stargaze, events, photos, and more:

» Tamke-Allan Observatory

Directions

Traveling west on I-40

• Turn off at the Midtown exit, go west on Highway 70 (Kingston Pike) for 3.25 miles to Caney Creek Road (between Caney Ford Baptist Church and the Roane County Park).
• Turn left on Caney Creek Road and go about 1/2 mile south, then turn right over the bridge (Watts Bar Lake).
• Continue straight ahead (on the blacktop by the curve).
• At the intersection of Caney Creek Road and Joiner Hollow Road, bear left and go 1000 ft south of the intersection.
• On the left, is a TVA boat ramp sign and the Roane State Observatory sign. Follow that gravel road to the classroom and observatory at the top of the field. 

Traveling east on I-40

• Use the Harriman exit (347) and turn toward the town of Rockwood (West) on State Route 27.
• Follow State Route 27 to State Route 382 (Roane State's Roane County campus is one mile south).
• Turn left (South) on State Route 382, pass the main campus, and travel to the end of the road (State Route 70).
• Turn left on State Route 70 and travel 1.5 miles east.
• Caney Creek Road is between the Roane County Park (on your right) and Caney Ford Baptist Church. Turn right on Caney Creek Road
• Follow the above directions to the observatory.