Mount Laguna Observatory

Mount Laguna Observatory is San Diego State University's astronomical research facility, tucked into the Laguna Mountains east of the city on the edge of Cleveland National Forest.

About Mount Laguna Observatory

Known as MLO, the observatory is owned and operated by San Diego State University's Department of Astronomy and sits roughly 75 kilometres east of downtown San Diego, near the hamlet of Mount Laguna. It was dedicated on June 19, 1968, during the summer meeting of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, seven years after SDSU's Astronomy Department became independent.

History

The observatory's primary instrument, a 1.06-metre (42-inch) Cassegrain reflector, was built by Astro Mechanics in 1966. It was operated in partnership with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign until 2000, and SDSU now collaborates with the University of Kansas and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on various research projects there.

Location & getting there

Mount Laguna Observatory sits on the SDSU Astronomy Campus in the Laguna Mountains, about 75 kilometres east of downtown San Diego, California, in the North America region of the United States.

Visiting Mount Laguna Observatory

Check San Diego State University's astronomy department website for current visiting hours and public program details before planning a trip to the mountain.

See your named star from here

The 1.06-metre reflector at Mount Laguna has spent decades pointed at precise sky coordinates, the same kind that come with a Star Register named star. Name a star and check its position in the catalogue before your visit to the Laguna Mountains.