Friends of the Oregon Observatory at Sunriver

Friends of the Oregon Observatory at Sunriver Our mission is to inspire present and future generations to cherish and understand our natural world

The Oregon Observatory at Sunriver is a one-of-a-kind facility. With the help of our staff you’ll see nebulas, binary stars, star clusters, galaxies, and planets. There may even be an opportunity for the public to try their hand at operating powerful telescopes on their own with the help of our staff and volunteers. Unlike Planetariums, at the Observatory you'll see the real thing. Strict light po

llution control in Sunriver lets us see deep sky objects that are washed out in the city. On a busy night, it's not unusual for us to have a dozen or more 4-30 inch diameter telescopes in operation. Often other amateur astronomers will bring their own equipment and join in the fun. The Oregon Observatory is a hands-on experience unlike any other. Summer Hours: Tuesday - Sunday 9pm-11pm
Fall Hours Wednesday and Saturday 8pm - 10pm
Admission: Adults - $10
Children (ages 2-12) - $8
Members - Free

To support the health and safety of our community and friends, the nature center and observatory have temporarily closed...
03/24/2020

To support the health and safety of our community and friends, the nature center and observatory have temporarily closed, effective March 22nd. We will remain closed through at least April 30th.
As spring arrives, we encourage everyone to take some time each day to enjoy nature and fresh air. I wish you clear skies and hope you can get out under the night sky., enjoy being outside and connecting with nature. It is a great way to stay active and engaged with the world around you.
For updates, please visit our website: https://snco.org/status/

The Oregon Observatory has been busy with some nice private star parties during this clear weather streak. Not sure how ...
12/14/2017

The Oregon Observatory has been busy with some nice private star parties during this clear weather streak. Not sure how long it will last, but we hope to get some more great views of the winter sky. Come join us soon for a great views of the winter wonders. Reservations are available for private star parties here under our dark winter skies. Call 541-593-4442 to book your star party! Photo compliments of our own Tracy Brown

At the Observatory, we periodically get to treat our guests to a fly-over of the International Space Station. We often ...
10/08/2017

At the Observatory, we periodically get to treat our guests to a fly-over of the International Space Station. We often are asked if we can see it through a telescope and our response is usually, yes, but it's difficult. Here's a photo, taken by a friend (Hap Griffin of Sumter, SC) taken on October 6, 2017 of the ISS transiting the Moon. The entire transit took 1.1 second! Iss is about 250 miles above us and traveling between 17 and 18 thousand miles per hour. I will try to attach the video Hap made as well. Be sure to enlarge the photo.

09/29/2017

What a beautiful day! Come out tonight and do some viewing of the Moon and Saturn. The staff will be out at the Old Mill District in Bend for free viewing starting at 8pm. For our members, join us at the observatory starting at 8pm for viewing. Not a member? Join us today ;-)
https://71826.blackbaudhosting.com/71826/Membership

09/22/2017

In a momentous finale, NASA’s Cassini spacecraft plunged into Saturn on September 15. This dramatic, mission-ending event accented Cassini’s significant role in the exploration of Saturn.

The Oregon Observatory at Sunriver will present a special program, “Cassini’s Grand Finale” to honor the legacy of the mission and provide a an overview of the mission to Saturn. The September 23 program will feature NASA Solar System Ambassador and the Observatory’s Manager, Robert Grossfeld.

“Cassini’s Grand Finale” will be presented in the Pozzi Education Building at Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory on Saturday, September 23 at 7pm. Nighttime viewing, including viewing of Saturn, will be held from 8 – 10pm at the Oregon Observatory. Cost is $12 for adults and $10 for kids 4-12, which includes viewing. Sunriver Nature Center and Observatory and Sunriver Owners Association members are free.

It's Thursday, so you know what that means? We will be viewing at the Old Mill District from 8pm-9pm, and the observator...
09/21/2017

It's Thursday, so you know what that means? We will be viewing at the Old Mill District from 8pm-9pm, and the observatory will be open for our members and SROA owners from 8pm-10pm,,,,, The weather is looking good and Saturn looks amazing, come join us..........

After several weeks of smokey, cloudy weather, clear sky returned to Sunriver with startling views and great guests on b...
09/11/2017

After several weeks of smokey, cloudy weather, clear sky returned to Sunriver with startling views and great guests on both Saturday, a public night and Sunday, a private party. The summer crowds have thinned considerably and the weather looks great for the rest of the week! Come on by either Wednesday or Saturday evening this week and enjoy some of the best skies this part of Central Oregon can offer!

Some fantastic prominences today as we begin to wrap up our summer season. Please check our website for our fall schedul...
09/02/2017

Some fantastic prominences today as we begin to wrap up our summer season. Please check our website for our fall schedule, which starts after Labor Day. These are huge clouds of plasma floating in the Sun's magnetic field. Photos taken through a 90mm Coronado H-alpha telescope. Black and white to enhance the structure. --from "Official" Oregon Observatory at Sunriver page

As we head into the big three day weekend, we are hoping all the smoke goes away and we can offer some great nighttime v...
09/02/2017

As we head into the big three day weekend, we are hoping all the smoke goes away and we can offer some great nighttime viewing. This weekend we will be open Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights from 9-11pm.

Friday night features a special NASA program about the Voyager Spacecraft. Saturday night will highlight the Cassini Spacecraft at Saturn.

After this weekend, we go to our Fall hours--Wednesday and Saturday nights, 8pm-10pm, and daytime solar viewing Wednesday through Sunday. Looking forward to seeing you soon at the observatory ---Bob Grossfeld

THIS is an artist's concept of the future expansion of our Observatory. We are raising funds right now to literally doub...
09/02/2017

THIS is an artist's concept of the future expansion of our Observatory. We are raising funds right now to literally double the size of Oregon Observatory beginning with mirroring the starport to the left of the dome

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Sunriver, OR

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(541) 598-4406

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