The largest public telescope in Colorado has a new home in the Gunnison Valley Observatory, located in Gunnison, Colo. A grand opening celebration for the observatory will begin at approximately 8:30pm sunset on June 28.

Public viewing through the new telescope and a variety of “support” telescopes will be available that evening, and an astronomy education program will be offered. The main telescope also will be available for viewing on June 29.
Following the grand opening weekend, the observatory will open at sunset every Friday night from July through September for open telescope viewing. The public is welcome, and a nominal fee will be charged. An astronomy lecture series is planned for select Saturdays throughout the summer and early fall. The observatory, including the classroom and telescope, soon will be available by reservation for private educational sessions, research programs and star parties.

The observatory is located off Gold Basin Road at the base of “W” Mountain, just southwest of Gunnison on U.S. Highway 50. Located at an elevation of 7,703 feet and with air and light pollution almost nonexistent in what are known as “stable” skies, Gunnison has near-perfect stargazing conditions.

The original telescope was purchased from Black Forest Observatory, built and operated by Paul Van Slyke in Colorado Springs from 1986 – 2001. Van Slyke built the impressive custom telescope so that he could observe Halley’s Comet. After discovering that thousands of other space enthusiasts also wanted to see the comet, he began offering public viewing sessions that earned the telescope a reputation for being an excellent instrument.

For more information about the Gunnison Valley Observatory and a schedule of events, visit www.coloradoskies.org or call Gail Davidson at (970) 641-8140 or Mike Brooks at (970) 641-6181.