Welcome to STARLIGHT BASIN OBSERVATORY

Starlight Basin Observatory is my home observatory in Paradise, UT. It is the descendant of my first observatory Starwood Observatory, which I had built in Lemont, Pennsylvania during my years at Penn State. When we moved to Utah, I sadly had to leave Starwood Observatory behind, and vowed to build a new one once we were settled.

The plans for the new observatory were complicated by several factors:

• We have 1.4 acres in Paradise, so I can build any size observatory I can successfully get permitted (the permitting process is multi-level and onerous compared to PA, but I'm dealing with it).
• I have supremely dark skies (I estimate mag 5.60 at zenith), which means I will soon have a much larger telescope.
• My horizons are relatively free of obstruction (unlike the treeline I had in Pennsylvania), so I want all direction horizon access, even with a Dobsonian, which makes designs hard!

The links below will outline the construction and features of the observatory.

Interested in astronomy? Want to know more about the Universe? Would you like to see the Cosmos right from your own backyard? Come to a meeting of the Cache Valley Stargazers! If you don't live near us here in Utah, Sky & Telescope maintains a database of astronomy clubs around the country. Look for one in your area!

Sky Conditions for Logan, UT