Desert Beaver Observatory

Desert Beaver Observatory is a private astronomical facility near Eloy, Arizona, in the Sonoran Desert of the American Southwest, best known as the site where an amateur astronomer discovered a new asteroid.

About Desert Beaver Observatory

Desert Beaver Observatory is a privately run astronomical facility located near Eloy, Arizona, in Pinal County. It carries the IAU observatory code 919 and sits at an elevation of roughly 261 metres, on flat desert terrain typical of the region's amateur observing sites.

History

The observatory is associated with Canadian amateur astronomer William Kwong Yu Yeung, who used it as part of a small network of private Arizona observing sites dedicated to hunting for asteroids and comets. On 2 October 2000, Yeung used Desert Beaver Observatory to discover the asteroid 25893 Sugihara, giving the site its place in the Minor Planet Center's records.

Location & getting there

The observatory lies in the Sonoran Desert near Eloy, Arizona, part of the North America region on Star Register's map. Like much of Pinal County, the surrounding desert offers low humidity and relatively dark, open skies away from city lighting - the same conditions that make it useful for asteroid-hunting work.

Visiting Desert Beaver Observatory

Desert Beaver is a private research observatory rather than a public visitor centre, and no public tours or opening hours are published. Anyone hoping to see the site should check with local astronomy clubs or the Minor Planet Center listing before planning a visit.

See your named star from here

Every star named through Star Register comes with precise right ascension and declination coordinates, the same kind of data professional and amateur observatories like this one use to point their telescopes. If you'd like a keepsake that ties a real star to a loved one's name, browse our naming packages or explore the star catalogue to find one already reserved.