Sonoita Research observatory

Tucked into the high desert grasslands near Sonoita, Arizona, the Sonoita Research Observatory (Minor Planet Center code G93) is a working research station dedicated to precise photometry of eclipsing binary stars and other variable objects. Its remote, robotic telescope has quietly contributed to variable-star science for years, guided by well-known figures in American astronomy.

About Sonoita Research Observatory

The observatory runs a 0.35-metre (14-inch) Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope on a robotic German equatorial mount, paired with a Santa Barbara Instrument Group STL-1001E CCD camera and a Custom Scientific BVRcIc filter set built to the Bessell (1990) standard. That combination is tuned for one job especially well: measuring the accurate colours of W Ursae Majoris (W UMa) contact binary stars brighter than 14th magnitude, alongside asteroid and general variable-star observations.

Telescopes & research

Typical seeing at the site runs 2 to 3 arcseconds full-width at half maximum, respectable for a robotic station in southern Arizona. The observatory feeds data into the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO) network, and its work has drawn on the expertise of Arne Henden, director of the AAVSO, and Dirk Terrell, a senior research scientist at the Southwest Research Institute.

Location & getting there

The site lies in Sonoita, Arizona, roughly 60 miles (100 km) east-southeast of Kitt Peak National Observatory, in the dark, high-desert grassland country of southern Arizona that has made the state one of the world's premier astronomy destinations.

Visiting Sonoita Research Observatory

As a working research station rather than a public visitor centre, Sonoita Research Observatory does not appear to run scheduled public tours. Anyone hoping to see the site should check with the observatory or nearby astronomy organisations before travelling.

See your named star from here

Every star named through star-register.eu comes with exact right ascension and declination, and an observatory equipped for precise photometry, like this one, could in principle be pointed at those same coordinates. Explore our star catalogue or choose a naming package to register a star of your own.