Willow Creek Astronomical Observatory was established in June 1998 as a private astronomical research facility dedicated to imaging, astrometry and spectroscopy. Projects underway or in development include:

In the beginning, what started off as a hobby quickly became a passion and pursuit in science. Purchasing the portable Celestron Celestar 8inch Schmidt Cassegrain was the obvious choice due to light weight and excellent optics. The addition of imaging cameras, SBIG ST-4 and ST-7, proved to be excellent performers providing us images of faint objects in great detail, that would otherwise be invisible through our telescope. The need for a permanent observatory was quickly evident when aa large portion of time was lost to setup, optimization and breakdown. Additional factors like wind, light pollution, and weather also played key roles in recognizing the need for a permanent observatory. We selected a dome style observatory to effectively reduce wind and light pollution problems. After almost a year of research we selected a fiberglass dome observatory manufacturer. The Observatory has a 6 foot dome and 7 foot base and is the perfect size for our needs and future plans. Most of the work performed at our observatory is spectroscopy and CCD imaging. The year 2003 and beyond promises to be very exciting and productive. Check our website frequently for changes and updates.

Clear Skies,

Dan D.

Director, Willow Creek Astronomical Observatory