NF observatory

NF Observatory sits in Grant County, New Mexico, near Silver City, where clear skies for more than 200 nights a year have supported decades of asteroid, supernova, and variable star research.

About NF Observatory

NF Observatory is a non-profit scientific organisation located in Grant County, New Mexico, at an elevation above 6,000 feet. Its high, dry site benefits from over 200 clear observing nights per year, a rare advantage for a working research observatory.

History

The observatory's first instrument, a 17-inch telescope, was designed and built in 1987 and went on to operate unattended for more than a decade. Its original CCD camera was custom-built from component parts, using a CCD chip loaned by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. In the summer of 2001, the observatory added a second, larger instrument: a 24-inch telescope on a Group 128 mount, relocated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Telescopes & research

From 1987 through at least 1997, NF Observatory's research focused on supernovae, asteroids, galaxies, and variable stars, work carried out largely with its original 17-inch telescope before the 24-inch instrument joined it. The observatory also administers Project ASTRO - New Mexico, a partnership program that pairs astronomers with teachers for education outreach.

Location & getting there

The observatory is located in Grant County, near Silver City, New Mexico, part of the North America region, in the high desert terrain that gives the site its exceptionally clear, dark skies.

Visiting NF Observatory

Further information is available on the observatory's official website, nfo.edu; as a research and education-focused non-profit, it is worth checking there for current details on tours, programs, or visiting access.

See your named star from here

With more than 200 clear nights a year, NF Observatory's telescopes are well placed to seek out faint objects at precise coordinates, exactly the kind of right ascension and declination that comes with every star named through Star Register. Browse the catalogue to find a star, or choose a naming package to name one yourself.