Dark Sky Observatory

Dark Sky Observatory, Appalachian State University’s observatory in the mountains of northwestern North Carolina, was established in 1981 and supports research, student instruction, and public viewing. Its instruments include a 32-inch Ritchey–Chrétien telescope, an 18-inch Cassegrain used for studies of eclipsing binary stars, the 17-inch Dean Glace Telescope shared with its donor, and the robotic 14-inch DSO-14, assembled in 2009 and linked to the Skynet Robotic Telescope Network to capture optical afterglows of gamma-ray bursts. The observatory has changed over time through telescope relocations, removals, and the 2011 completion of the Cline Visitors’ Center, and remains central to the university’s astronomy program.

Millers Creek, North Carolina · United States