National Public Observatory  

  Imagine This  

Imagine yourself in a place where there are no streetlights or city glare, and the light of a myriad of stars in a jewel-filled sky, light your path.

Imagine yourself having regular access to a professional astronomical observatory at this dark sky site, and participating in programs conducted with a 32-inch telescope featuring real-time video imaging.

Imagine a planetarium, astronomical library, and video resource materials at your disposal, to entertain and educate you and your friends and children about astronomy any time of the month or year, on a permanent basis.

Imagine this experience being affordable for your whole family, with camping facilities, at a southern location in the United States where the climate is favorable for camping and astronomy most of the year around.

Imagine being able to bring your own telescopes or renting a telescope for use at your star-encrusted dark sky campsite, and enjoying all of the public programs at the facilities of your National Public Observatory.

Imagine being at the park on cloudy days or nights and still being able to review and analyze recent and historic observing runs on videotape or on DVD in 2007!

Imagine a permanent museum completely devoted to astronomy, with changing exhibits on a regular basis.

Imagine a gift shop that sells not only astronomy-related items, but also quality astronomical products for the observer.

All of these are the goals of the National Public Observatory project set to begin in 2007. Making quality astronomical observing at a dark sky site affordable to everyone is what the National Public Observatory project is all about. From interested laypersons to advanced amateur astronomers, making all of these fast-disappearing resources permanently available to everyone in the world is our goal.

  Goals  

Developing the capabilities and resources to do all kinds of astronomy on a regular basis is our goal. Not just the big bright object tour you normally get at public astronomy nights but all types of objects; stars, double stars, meteors, comets, asteroids, variable stars, deep sky objects, and even the sun, planets and stars in the daytime sky.

This will not be the usual public astronomy experience but exciting programs designed to bring everyone up to a higher level of understanding of our place in the universe and the encouragement, education and the rapidly-disappearing access to participate first-hand in the "oldest science."

  Support Your NPO  

This can only be done with your help, by joining the Nation Public Observatory project today. For a small yearly membership fee, you can help this dream become a reality by the year 2007. Beginning memberships are less than most astronomy club dues.