It’s a gateway to the galaxies right here in El Dorado County. The Community Observatory in Placerville is a place where you can see the stars up close and enjoy the universe in beautiful living color. The Observatory, a 100 percent volunteer-run facility, features two main telescopes: a 17-inch research-grade telescope and a 14-inch telescope with a high-resolution digital camera.

 This month, the Observatory will celebrate 10 years of serving and educating the community. Built in 2006 with funds raised by the Rotary Club of Cameron Park, and in partnership with the El Dorado County Office of Education and Folsom Lake College, the Observatory site was chosen for its mild climate and dark skies that are excellent for stargazing. “We have a wonderful staff of about 45 volunteer docents who help operate the Observatory and keep it free to the public,” says current Chief Docent Charlie Coburn. “The docents enjoy sharing their knowledge with visitors.”

Coburn has had a lifelong love for astronomy and was formerly on the Board of Directors for the Sacramento Valley Astronomical Society. “I was in charge of the youth programs and maintaining the observatory there,” he recalls. “That is where I met Forrest Lockhart, the very first Community Observatory docent who was instrumental in working with Rotary to build the Observatory into the wonderful facility it is today.” 

In its 10 years, the Community Observatory has had 70,000 visitors and hosted many scouting groups, school field trips, service organizations, senior centers and church groups. Now, with increasing demand and advancing technology, the time has come to expand. The staff and sponsors are seeking to better accommodate local students and offer them the power of state-of-the-art astronomy research capabilities.  

Plans are underway to build a new Imaging Observatory dedicated to student projects. While fund-raising has allowed the organization to obtain much of the equipment required for it, the group still needs to purchase the huge dome and its operating motors. “In the past few years, imaging technology has taken fantastic leaps forward,” says Coburn. “It’s now possible for a small Observatory like ours to produce images rivaling those from the world’s largest observatories, [thus allowing] our local students to enjoy a truly hands-on experience in research astronomy.”

By Janet Scherr. People photos by Dante Fontana. Whirlpool Galaxy courtesy of Cameron Park Rotary Community Observatory.

communityobservatory.com

Docents and supporters have been busy organizing the Observatory’s 10-year anniversary event on August 13—an evening that will include presentations, guest speakers and a big birthday cake. All of the telescopes will be operating, along with solar telescopes set up until sunset. “The planets will be aligned nicely that night,” reveals Coburn. “We’ll be able to show you Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune. If you stay past midnight, you can finish your planetary tour with a view of Uranus. That’s all eight major planets viewable from our Observatory!” If that’s not enough, event planners are also hoping to see the annual Perseid meteor shower. “We will remain open all night until after the sun rises at 7 a.m.—or when everyone leaves, whichever is sooner. Bring a blanket if you want to lie out under the stars.”