Supporters of Great Basin Observatory see light at end of the tunnel

The stars haven't aligned just yet for a planned observatory at Great Basin National Park, but its backers are within sight of their goal.

By year's end, members of the park's nonprofit foundation hope to have the $480,000 they need to build and open Great Basin Observatory in the mountains 300 miles northeast of Las Vegas.

If they succeed, the remote-controlled, 28-inch research telescope could be up and scanning some of the darkest, clearest skies in North America by as early as summer, foundation chairwoman Becky Mills said.

So far, the foundation and its partners have raised more than $385,000 in donations and pledges. That includes a single pledge from an anonymous donor who has agreed to match every dollar raised through the end of the year up to $125,000.

"We're not quite there, but we're close," said Mills, a former superintendent for the only national park located entirely in Nevada.

The actual construction shouldn't take long, she said. The prefab, modular building with its clam-shell roof could be installed in as a little as a month or two — once the snow melts in late spring.

Mills said she hopes to see the telescope on line in time for one of three key dates next year: the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service on Aug. 25, the annual Astronomy Festival at Great Basin National Park Sept. 29-Oct. 1, or the park's 30th anniversary Oct. 27.

The Park Service is providing land for the project near staff housing, about 7,000 feet above sea level, and has agreed to do all the environmental compliance planning and site preparation work. Park personnel will provide routine maintenance of the building and the surrounding property, Mills said.

To plan and operate the observatory, the foundation has partnered with the University of Nevada, Reno; Western Nevada College in Carson City; Concordia University in Irvine, Calif.; and Southern Utah University in Cedar City.

Longtime UNR physics and astrophysics professor David Bennum said there has been talk for years about building a telescope at Great Basin National Park, which he called "the best location left in the U.S." for stargazing.

"An instrument like this in a place like the park is going to be a dramatic opportunity for students," Bennum said. "This would give us a chance for real research in the area."

Eventually, the new scope could spur the development of a graduate program in astronomy and astrophysics at UNR. The university already has a "nice" 24-inch scope, Bennum said. "Unfortunately, it's in Reno."

Mills said the other universities involved are equally excited about the project, which will give students and research faculty the chance to make new discoveries or follow up on work being done at the largest and most overbooked observatories around the world.

The new telescope will also provide a tangible reason — beyond simple aesthetics — to fight light pollution and preserve the dark night sky at Great Basin, she said.

And astronomers won't have to travel to remote eastern Nevada and sit up all night in the cold to use the observatory. Mills said images captured by the telescope will be uploaded to the Internet for all to examine and appreciate.

Contact Henry Brean at hbrean@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0350. Find him on Twitter: @RefriedBrean