(This website is currently under construction)
The observatory is getting closer to completion, and progress is ongoing, albeit sometimes slowly. Most of the time I’m working alone so it all depends on on when I have time or am physically able to work (as I edit this I am “down” in my back, and haven’t been able to climb a ladder all week).
The major work on the building and dome is complete, but there are still numerous smaller, but essential, tasks to finish before first light. I’m currently focused on installing the azimuth and shutter drive motors, actuators, limit switches and control electronics. Plus, there’s lots of unfinished wiring waiting on me. As soon as I complete the drive system, I can remove the work ladders from the observing floor and be able to safely start setting up the instruments.
While this is a privately owned observatory, I’m hoping to be able to create some type of public outreach program once it is operational. I’m already getting comments from folks like “what is that out in your field” and “my kid would love this”, so we’ll see how it goes.
The observatory is tucked away in a quiet, rural area of the Potomac Highlands of West Virginia. The night skies are Bortle scale class 3 and we’re at an elevation of around 1120-feet, in a wide valley with surrounding ridges over 2000 feet.
The main structure is a twelve-and-a-half foot diameter Galvalume dome atop a round building with an elevated floor. Another larger building, about 300 feet from the dome, serves as the “warm room” and office, with both buildings interconnected electronically via a gigabit network.
My plan is to automate most functions of the observatory so it can be remotely operated. But achieving 100% remote control is not an absolute necessity since I live onsite. The main goal is to be able to control the telescopes and cameras from within a classroom environment.
Once completed, the dome will house a modified Celestron C-11 XLT 11-inch f/10 Schmidt-Cassegrain as the main telescope, an Astro-Tech 6-inch f/9 Ritchey-Chretion Astrograph for deep sky imaging, and a modified Orion 80mm f/5 refractor as the autoguider scope. I may even add my Coronado PST solar telescope into the mix. The telescopes will be mounted on an Orion HDX-110 (Skywatcher EQ-8) heavy duty equatorial mount.
Click on the chart for more details of weather and viewing conditions.