Ashton Observatory

Ashton Observatory, in Ashton-Wildwood County Park near Baxter, Iowa, is a public astronomy facility operated by the Des Moines Astronomical Society with Jasper County for community observing and education. Built in 1983 with two domes housing 16-inch telescopes, it expanded in 2002 with a classroom for larger groups and includes outdoor pads for portable telescopes and star parties. Public programs usually run on Saturday evenings from April through October, combining lectures with telescope viewing. A major feature is a 270-square-foot mural dedicated in 2019 that portrays the southern night sky over prairie. Public nights stopped in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the classroom was later heavily damaged by the August 2020 Midwest derecho.

Iowa · United States