(This website is currently under construction)
Alberio Observatory is named after the double star Beta Cygni, or Albireo. Through a telescope the larger of its two suns shines with a golden hue, while the smaller glows sapphire blue, and the contrasting colors create quite a beautiful display. To the naked eye, Albireo appears as a single star at the head of the Cygnus the Swan, or the foot of the Northern Cross, depending on which asterism you prefer. The name itself has no real meaning as it seems to be a mistranslation from Latin and Arabic.
The observatory’s main structure is a twelve-and-a-half foot diameter Galavalume dome manufactured by Lancaster Domes back in the 1990’s or early 2000’s. The design of the dome was based on an Ash dome. It was in storage for more than ten years while I searched for a place to build it.
Land for the observatory was finally purchased in 2021, but construction of the dome building did not not begin until 2023. Construction is nearing completion, but I discovered some shutter parts are missing, so replacements had to be fabricated by a local machine shop, which took several months. I hope to complete the dome in the spring of 2025.
