We are located in the foothills of the Santa Lucia Mountains in California’s central coast, renowned for world-class seeing and favorable conditions for astronomy. Our site is the result of a years-long search for the right combination: dark skies accessible to grid power, high-speed internet, temperate weather with no annual snow, while also allowing 24/7 on-site support. Bortle 2 skies, 1 – 2” seeing, with occasional sub-arcsecond conditions. It’s no coincidence that our observatory site is literally down the street from the former hosting location of the CalStar Star Party organized by the Bay Area’s Astronomy Connection. It’s dark and steady here.
35º 48’N, 121º 2’W, we are 45 miles SSE of Chews Ridge, right between Lake San Antonio and Lake Nacimiento.
After chasing dark skies for years, we’ve come to appreciate dark, steady, and accessible. While our site is in the foothills, what we lack in elevation, we make up for with very temperate weather conditions year-round, and minimal wind or adverse conditions on clear nights. In addition to benefitting from the laminar Pacific onshore flow, we are situated on an elevated parcel surrounded by gently sloped rural grassland and oak savannah, which contribute to the steady seeing conditions.
Grid power, broadband internet, paved road access, UPS, FedEx, and US Post deliveries all make for a very accessible site to receive parts overnight. Most standard ground shipments from anywhere in California arrive the next day.
Seeing Conditions
Localized Seeing Conditions
The site benefits from the laminar Pacific on-shore flow over the Santa Lucia Mountains, and the gentle surrounding topography. The seeing conditions average between 1″ to 2″ throughout the year, with slightly steadier conditions in the summer.
The observatory building and location on the parcel has taken local seeing conditions into account. The building is surrounded by flat grassland and is elevated with a subfloor, not a concrete slab for better thermal stability.
Remote Infrastructure
- Grid power
- UPS backup power
- Reliable broadband internet
- IP Power Switches for each pier
- Unihedron Sky Quality Meter
- SBS SM-1 Seeing Monitor
- SX Oculus All-Sky Cam
- Inside & Outside webcams
- SkyAlert System
- Davis Instruments Vantage Pro 2 weather station
- On-site Support. We live here!
Local Services
We have teamed with a local welder to make a custom pier to your specifications, if desired. We have an on-site cable lab to address all cable needs and replacements quickly. Our basic telescope services include installation, collimation, cleaning, and basic maintenance. If something goes beyond our local capabilities, we will arrange sending product to the manufacturer for attention.
Security and On-Site Support
We have the inherent advantage of living on the property full-time with 24/7 video surveillance. The locked observatory building on our private property is inside a fenced perimeter and locked gate to restrict vehicle access. Our country road is not a through road, and being as remote as we are, there is no pedestrian traffic. SkiesAway’s business insurance protects your property inside of our building. Clients may choose to supplement with their own insurance of their choosing.
Our telescope hosting includes on-site support day and night to address issues as quickly as possible.