Meyer–Womble Observatory

Meyer–Womble Observatory, a University of Denver facility near the summit of Mount Blue Sky in Arapaho National Forest, stood 4,326 meters above sea level and ranked among the world’s highest optical and infrared observatories, holding the highest position until 2001. Built in the mid-1990s with major gifts from William Womble’s estate and from Eric and Barbara Meyer, it featured a dual-aperture 0.72-meter Ritchey–Chrétien telescope that reached first light in August 1997. Its extreme altitude gave it scientific advantages but also exposed it to severe weather, including dome damage in 2011–12. In 2018, the University of Denver began decommissioning the observatory because of limited funds and interest.

Silver Plume, Colorado · United States