Meyer–Womble Observatory

Meyer–Womble Observatory perches near the summit of Mount Blue Sky (formerly Mount Evans) in Colorado's Arapaho National Forest, roughly 60 kilometres west of Denver -- one of the highest optical/infrared observatories on Earth.

About Meyer–Womble Observatory

Owned and operated by the University of Denver, the observatory sits at an elevation of 4,326 metres (14,193 ft), making it the third-highest optical/infrared observatory in the world. It held the title of highest until the Indian Astronomical Observatory opened in 2001.

History

Construction began in 1995 and finished in 1996, funded by a $3.8 million gift from the estate of William Womble alongside a $1 million donation from Eric Meyer, an anesthesiologist who personally designed the observatory's telescope and, with his wife Barbara, brought its optical components from Chicago. The telescopes saw first light in August 1997. During the winter of 2011-12, high winds damaged the dome and let snow into the observing area; a mountaineer secured the telescope in April 2012, and a new dome was installed on 20 October 2012.

Telescopes & research

The main instrument is a dual-aperture 0.72-metre (28-inch) f/21 Ritchey-Chrétien telescope, designed specifically for the site's extreme altitude and thin atmosphere.

Location & getting there

The observatory sits near the summit of Mount Blue Sky in the Arapaho National Forest, Colorado, USA -- a dramatic, high-altitude setting reached from the Denver area.

See your named star from here

Few places on Earth offer thinner air and darker skies than this Colorado summit. Name a star with Star Register and its coordinates can guide a telescope here -- or anywhere else -- to find it; see examples in the star catalogue.