2026

After five years, the Young Observatory at Pacific Union College reopened and added new facilities, including a newly installed telescope. Through the generosity of a donor, those funds were used to purchase a new telescope, a handheld computer to use the older telescope, and parts to restore the original observatory telescope, which were needed to reopen the observatory. The new telescope is a 12-inch Celestron reflector mounted on a tripod, currently set up in the observatory parking lot, but since it runs on a battery, it can be set up anywhere, whether at PUC or elsewhere.The new telescope will be used for ASTR 115, an introductory astronomy course taught every year. Since it's set up in the parking lot, it can serve many more people during group visits, unlike the older telescope inside the observatory, which has an occupancy limit. This past fall quarter, hundreds of visitors have already enjoyed the newly opened observatory, which will also welcome back public Friday night observations this spring and summer.PUC Chair of Math and Physics James Robertson feels “thrilled and relieved” to finally have the observatory open again. “Thrilled to be able to have a working facility for both my classes and the...