Palmer Divide Observatory

Palmer Divide Observatory sits at 17995 Bakers Farm Road near Colorado Springs, Colorado, a research facility with an outsized record in the study of binary asteroids.

About Palmer Divide Observatory

Registered with the IAU as Observatory Code 716, Palmer Divide Observatory sits at an elevation of roughly 7,600 feet in the Colorado foothills. Its research has been funded by a NASA grant (NNX10AL35G) and a National Science Foundation grant (AST-1032896).

Telescopes & research

The observatory is equipped with three Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes plus a Ritchey-Chretien telescope for imaging research. Its work concentrates on asteroid lightcurves, particularly Hungaria asteroids and Mars-crossers, along with variable stars and astrometry, with a special focus on binary asteroid systems. The observatory has been credited with identifying three asteroids and has discovered or confirmed more than thirteen binary asteroid systems, leading to the initial discovery of more than a dozen binary asteroids.

Location & getting there

Palmer Divide Observatory is located near Colorado Springs, Colorado, part of the North America region on Star Register's map, at an elevated site in the Colorado foothills well suited to precise astrometric work.

Visiting Palmer Divide Observatory

As a working research observatory focused on asteroid science, it is best to check directly for current access arrangements before planning any visit.

See your named star from here

An observatory built for precise astrometry, like Palmer Divide, works from exactly the kind of coordinates that come with a star named through Star Register. Name a star, or explore the catalogue of stars already named.