Willard L. Eccles Observatory

The Willard L. Eccles Observatory stands on Frisco Peak in Utah's San Francisco Mountains, roughly 27 kilometres (17 miles) northwest of Milford. It is a working research observatory owned and operated by the University of Utah.

About Willard L. Eccles Observatory

The observatory opened in 2010 and was built with donations from the Willard L. Eccles Foundation and the E.R. & E.W. Dumke Foundation. Its high, dark mountaintop site was chosen specifically to give researchers clear, stable skies away from city lights.

Telescopes & research

The observatory's main instrument is a 0.8-metre (31-inch) Ritchey-Chretien telescope built by DFM Engineering and mounted on an equatorial mount, giving University of Utah astronomers a dedicated tool for research-grade imaging and spectroscopy.

Location & getting there

Frisco Peak rises in the San Francisco Mountains of western Utah, in a remote, high-elevation setting well suited to astronomical work. As a research facility rather than a visitor centre, it is not generally set up for casual drop-in access.

Visiting Willard L. Eccles Observatory

Because the observatory is a working research site operated by the University of Utah, anyone hoping to visit should contact the university's physics and astronomy department in advance to check current access arrangements.

See your named star from here

A 0.8-metre research telescope like the one on Frisco Peak can be aimed at precise coordinates across the sky, the same coordinates recorded for every star named through Star Register. Browse the catalogue to see how it works, or name a star today.