Emerald Lane Observatory

Emerald Lane Observatory is a private amateur observatory built on the roof of a home on Emerald Lane in Decatur, Alabama, where astronomer Loren C. Ball has tracked hundreds of asteroids.

About Emerald Lane Observatory

Rather than a public institution, Emerald Lane Observatory is the personal facility of amateur astronomer Loren C. Ball, born in 1948 in Watonga, Oklahoma. Registered with the Minor Planet Center under observatory code 843, it sits atop his house in Decatur, Alabama, at an elevation of about 201 meters.

Telescopes & research

Between 2000 and 2004, Ball used the observatory to discover more than 100 asteroids, earning credit for 112 numbered minor-planet designations with the Minor Planet Center at Harvard — all solo discoveries, with no co-discoverers. In recognition of his work, the main-belt asteroid 16095 Lorenball, found by the Catalina Sky Survey in 1999, was named in his honor, with the official citation published by the Minor Planet Center in November 2019. Ball is also under contract with NASA through the University of Alabama in Huntsville to bring asteroid education to school groups and community organizations.

Location & getting there

The observatory is located in Decatur, Alabama, in the southeastern United States, at roughly 201 meters above sea level. As a private residential observatory, it is not set up as a general tourist site.

Visiting Emerald Lane Observatory

Because Emerald Lane Observatory operates from a private home, it is not open for public tours. Ball's public-facing work happens instead through school and community outreach programs; anyone interested in his research is best served by checking his published pages or contacting him through his professional channels before assuming any access.

See your named star from here

Emerald Lane Observatory is a reminder that meaningful astronomy doesn't require a mountaintop — a dedicated amateur with a rooftop telescope can chart the sky in real detail. If a private setup like this can track asteroids precisely enough to earn official designations, imagine what a visit to any observatory could show you once you have the coordinates of your own named star. Browse the catalogue or explore naming a star to get started.