Project: Astronomy Observatory – Completed August 15, 2018

After 6½ years in our new house, in June 2017 we began building a 10' x 14' roll-off roof observatory. The finished structure passed the zoning inspection on April 20, 2018.

Scroll down for the observatory project. Click here to learn more about our astronomy hobby.

First check out the observatory clearing, then the tasks needed to construct this relatively small "shed." The earliest task is at the top of this list, and the most recent is at the bottom.

We enjoy photographing deep-space objects in the night sky. An observatory allows the telescope and imaging equipment to remain set up and ready to go.

We're building our observatory in a large clearing 300' from our house. At night a garage door opener will roll the roof open on tracks extending from the building toward the north, and will roll it closed in the morning.

We will use the observatory to photograph deep-space objects that are invisible or appear colorless when viewed by eye through the telescope. This is the Rosette Nebula, which lies about 5,000 light years away (30 quadrillion miles).

Click here to visit our astronomy website with images and equipment details. Opens in a new browser window. Close it to return here.

Updated March 15, 2024