Snow King Observatory and Planetarium
| Snow King Observatory and Planetarium | |
|---|---|
 The entrance to Snow King Observatory and Planetarium | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Planetarium |
| Address | 100 East Snow King Avenue |
| Town or city | Jackson, Wyoming |
| Coordinates | 43°28′14″N 110°47′17″W / 43.47047°N 110.78795°W |
| Opened | June 1, 2024 |
| Website | |
Official website  | |
Snow King Observatory and Planetarium is an astronomy facility on US Forest Service property at the 7,808-foot (2,380 m) summit of Snow King Mountain in Jackson, Wyoming.[1]
History
[edit]A Nevada–Wyoming amateur astronomer, Samuel Singer, created the nonprofit Wyoming Stargazing in 2014 to foster the project.[2] Lead designer Jakub Galczynski joined Singer in 2015 to plan and design the Snow King Mountain Observatory.[3] Max C. Chapman, President of Snow King Mountain, approached Samuel Singer at Wyoming Stargazing's farmers market booth to discuss prospects of the Snow King Observatory.[4]
In January 2020, Bridger–Teton National Forest administrators released a draft environmental impact statement regarding the proposed facility.[5]
The observatory officially opened with a speech by Bill Nye on June 1, 2024, becoming the first observatory served by a gondola lift in a ski resort in North America. Although this facility is on United States Forest Service land, it is not publicly offered for usage. Privately funded scientists and researchers can use the facilities for a fee.
In Fall 2024, Joe Zator, from University of Colorado at Boulder joined the observatory as the observatory director.[6]
Equipment and Facilities
[edit]The Snow King Observatory and Planetarium offers a unique 150mm solar telescope (Hydrogen Alpha), a Planewave CDK1000 1-Meter Corrected Dall-Kirkham "Cassegrain" telescope at 8,000 Feet.
The planetarium features a 35-seat theater, and is capable of 180-degree projections on an 8 metres (26 ft) screen for films.[4]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Snow King expansion now in Forest Service scoping phase". Buckrail. Jackson Hole, Wyoming. August 6, 2018.
- ^ Kelsey Dayton (April 8, 2014). "Night Vision: A Jackson Hole astronomer wants to build an observatory and planetarium". WyoFile.
- ^ Mike Cavaroc (September 3, 2015). "Jackson Hole Observatory Status from Summer 2015". Wyoming Stargazing.
- ^ a b Hannah Habermann (September 6, 2023). "Snow King Mountain sets the stage for new summit-top observatory and planetarium". Wyoming Public Media.
- ^ "Snow King development analysis released for comment". KIFI. January 31, 2020.
- ^ Richard Andersonl (April 3, 2024). "Astronomer stoked to reveal universe's glories". jhnewsandguide.
