Kopernik Observatory & Science Center

What Kopernik Observatory & Science Center does

Kopernik Observatory & Science Center (KOSC) is a nonprofit science center and public observatory founded in 1974 by the Kopernik Society of Broome County to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the birth of Mikolaj Kopernik (Copernicus), and has been in continuous operation for over 50 years. It is located atop a 1,740-foot hill in Vestal, NY, approximately 13 miles southwest of Binghamton, and was the first science laboratory facility in New York State designed for K-12 teachers, students, and their families. The organization serves K-12 students, teachers, families, and the general public with hands-on STEM programming and astronomical observation across the Northeast US and New York State.

KOSC's product surface spans public Friday-night observing programs featuring guest lecturers that include NASA scientists and astronauts; K-12 school field trips and portable-planetarium outreach; a KoperniKids early-childhood program; weeklong summer STEM camps operating for 34 consecutive years as of 2026 under Link Foundation sponsorship; scout, weekend, and adult-education classes; birthday parties and corporate/private facility rentals; and recurring special events such as RocketFest, AstroFest, Race to the Stars, Wigilia, and the Polish Picnic. Technical infrastructure comprises three observatory telescopes, over twelve portable telescopes (including a wheelchair-accessible unit), a Heliostat Solar Telescope, high-resolution CCD cameras with filter sets and Herschel Wedge, dedicated Space Science, Physics/Laser, Earth Science, and Computer labs, a VR Classroom, an on-site weather station receiving NOAA 15, NOAA 18, NOAA 19, and Meteor M2 satellite imagery, an amateur radio station (K2ZRO), a mobile STEM Van, the outdoor Kopernik Science Park playground, and an online multimedia gallery plus a seasonal Kopernik Constellation newsletter.

The revenue model is pay-as-you-go admissions priced at $6 adult / $4 senior-student / $20 family maximum with group rates ($4 adult, $3 student) for parties of ten or more; annual memberships (including ASTC reciprocal benefits); tuition for camps, classes, and outreach programs; and donations, planned giving, and grants. KOSC explicitly states it receives no government support and relies entirely on tuition, donations, and grants to cover operating and capital expenses.

Name

Kopernik Observatory & Science Center

Legal name

Kopernik Observatory & Science Center

Website

https://kopernik.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

A nonprofit observatory and science center in Vestal, NY, founded in 1974, serving K-12 students, teachers, families, and the public with hands-on STEM education, astronomical observation, and year-round programming funded by admissions, tuition, donations, and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Science Center & Observatory Educational Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Space & Astronomy Programs (EDAMABAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Science Camps & Field Programs (Nature, Space, Marine, Geology) (EDAMABAB)

Keywords

• Science education
• Observatory services
• STEM programs
• Astronomy education
• Planetarium experiences

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Kopernik Observatory & Science Center operates a public observatory and science center in Vestal, NY, delivering hands-on STEM education through public observing programs, school field trips, summer camps, and outreach activities. It maintains observatory telescopes, a heliostat solar telescope, a high-resolution CCD camera, a portable planetarium, laboratories (Space Science, Physics/Laser, Earth Science), a VR Classroom, and a weather station receiving NOAA and Meteor M2 satellite imagery. The center charges admission and tuition, supported by donations, memberships, grants, and sponsorships, and does not receive government funding.

Product overview

Kopernik Observatory & Science Center is an educational science center offering a unified portfolio of programs and facilities for STEM education in astronomy and science. The core offerings include public observing programs (Friday nights), school field trips, and summer camps (Link Summer STEM Exploration), complemented by special events, private bookings, and birthday parties. The facilities include observatory telescopes with CCD imaging, laboratory spaces (Space Science, Physics/Laser, Earth Science), a VR Classroom, portable planetarium, weather station receiving NOAA satellite data, and the Kopernik Science Park outdoor exhibit area. The center also operates a STEM Van for outreach and maintains multimedia galleries and a newsletter for community engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Public Programs (Friday Nights)
• School Programs & Field Trips
• Summer Camps (Link Summer STEM Exploration)
• KoperniKids
• On the Road Outreach Programs
• Group Programs
• Private Events & Corporate Bookings
• General Admission to Observatory
• Membership Program

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• American Museum of Natural History: Major New York natural science institution with planetarium and astronomy programming. Shares KOSC's astronomy/STEM education mission but operates at vastly greater scale, scope, and audience reach.
• Liberty Science Center: Large New Jersey science center with broad STEM exhibits, planetarium, and K-12 programming. Same ASTC reciprocal network and similar nonprofit science-center model, but significantly larger scale and urban anchor.

Direct peers

• Chabot Space & Science Center: California-based observatory and science center combining public telescope viewing, school programs, and camps. Closest peer to KOSC's specific combination of observatory operations plus K-12 STEM enrichment.
• Rochester Museum & Science Center: Upstate New York science center with planetarium, public programs, and school field trips. Comparable scale, audience (K-12 and families), and ASTC reciprocal membership model.
• Museum of Science and Technology (MOST), Syracuse: Hands-on science center in upstate New York offering similar STEM exhibits, school field trips, and summer camps. Closest geographic comparable to KOSC within the NY science-center ecosystem.
• Adirondack Sky Center & Observatory: Regional New York observatory and science center that KOSC explicitly partners with. Comparable mission of public astronomical viewing, K-12 STEM programming, and amateur-society partnerships within New York State.
• Buffalo Museum of Science: Regional science museum serving Western New York with hands-on STEM exhibits and school programming. Overlaps with KOSC's mission of informal K-12 science education in New York State.

Others

• Kopernik Astronomical Society: In-house amateur astronomy club hosted at KOSC's observatory. Comparable in mission (public astronomy engagement) but operates as a volunteer member society rather than a paid-program facility.
• Syracuse Astronomical Society: Regional amateur astronomy society that KOSC partners with. Comparable audience interest in observational astronomy but functions as a member-run club rather than a science center.

Regional players

• Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum: New York-based STEM/museum complex with strong K-12 programming and family audiences. Comparable visitor-admission and group-program economics, though more space-history/air-and-sea oriented than astronomy.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/kopernikobservatory
• Facebookfacebook.com/KopernikObservatory
• Instagraminstagram.com/kopernikobservatory
• Pinterestpinterest.com/kopernik51
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kopernik-observatory

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kopernik Observatory & Science Center