Hereford Arizona Observatory
Image: Wikimedia Commons
In the high desert of southern Arizona, about 130 km southeast of Tucson and just 11 km north of the Mexican border, Hereford Arizona Observatory has produced serious research despite being owned and run by a single amateur astronomer.
About Hereford Arizona Observatory
Known by its IAU code, G95, the observatory is owned and operated by amateur astronomer Bruce L. Gary. It consists of two separate installations, HAO#1 and HAO#2, each housing its own telescope.
Telescopes & research
HAO#1 contains an 11-inch Celestron CPC 1100 Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope on an equatorial mount, while HAO#2 houses a 16-inch Astro-Tech Ritchey-Chrétien telescope, also on an equatorial mount. Recent research at the site has focused on unusual starlight fluctuations in Tabby's Star (KIC 8462852) and in WD 1145+017, two of the more puzzling objects in modern astronomy.
Location & getting there
The observatory sits in Arizona at an elevation of 1,423 metres, in a stretch of desert close to the U.S.-Mexico border, coordinates that place it firmly on the map for professional and amateur astronomers tracking its published data.
Visiting Hereford Arizona Observatory
As a privately owned amateur facility, HAO is not set up as a general public visitor site. Anyone interested in its work should check its official website for current information before making contact.
See your named star from here
An observatory that has helped study one of the strangest stars ever found is a fitting place to think about your own. Look up the coordinates of your named star in our star catalogue and see how the Arizona desert sky compares.
Opening hours and public-visit programs vary by season. Check the official website and Google Maps for current times before you travel.