336 Bayley-Hazen Road
Peacham, VT  05862
​Contact: info@nkaf.org

• Latitude = N 44° 19’ 30.1’’
• Longitude = W 72° 09’ 57.0’
• Elevation = 1260' (384m)
• Sky Quality (est): 21.7 magnitude
• Sky light pollution: Bortle Scale = 3​

Viewing conditions at NSO

Our Facebook Page

.A short video showing the construction of NSO -  notice the original, temporary mount...

OUR FACILITY

THE NORTHERN SKIES OBSERVATORY

​ Built in 2012, NSO has been the site of regular public observing events, such as the Venus transit in June of that year. Check the Blog section, the NKAF Calendar below and our Facebook page for upcoming events!
Because the telescope is robotically controlled, the NSO is not manned on a regular basis, but we have regular monthly star party / open houses based on the moon and the weather!

(Calendar doesn't seem to work well on iPhone/iPad with Safari - works fine with Chrome.)

Full NKAF Events Calendar

OUR TELESCOPE

Robotically controlled, 17" PlaneWave Corrected Dahl-Kirkham reflector, Astrometrics mount

INSIDE THE ASH 14.5' DOME...

PlaneWave f/6.8 17" CDK
PlaneWave Instruments
Torrance, California
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XF2 Fork Mount
Astrometrics Instruments
​Westborough, MA
1/20th arc-second accuracy
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AltaU16 M camera
Apogee Instruments
​Alta AI-FW50-10S Filter Wheel
Starlight Xpress Lodestar autoguider
​Monster MOG off-axis pick-off

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Skynet Website

The Skynet Robotic Telescope Network operates out of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Supported by the National Science Foundation, the North Carolina Space Grant, and the Mount Cuba Astronomical Foundation.

 Filter Array (1-5):

• Ha - Astrodon narrow band
• OIII - Astrodon narrow band
• Red - Astrodon
  
• I - Astrodon photometric
• R - Astrodon photometric

Filter Array (6-10):

• V - Astrodon photometric
• B - Astrodon photometric
• Luminance - Astrodon
• Blue - Astrodon
• SA-200  Diffraction Grating

 WARM ROOM INTERACTIVE CONTROL ROOM

Full robotic capacity mediated by the Terminator control software and the Skynet observing interface.
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MaximDL
The SkyX
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Ash 14.5' dome controlled by DomePro software and hardware suite produced by Astrometrics, Inc.
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SBIG AllSky 340 camera
Boltwood Cloud II weather sensor

EDUCATIONAL SERVICES

REAL ASTRONOMY FOR STUDENT SCIENTISTS

 We work with schools in northern New England and organizations, such as the Governor's Institutes of Vermont, to introduce students of all ages to the joys and wonder of astronomy. We provide training in astrophotographic acquisition, processing, and analysis, equipping them with the tools to do authentic scientific research using the Northern Skies Observatory. See the "Education" page for more information!

(All astro-photos in the Images gallery were taken and processed by students at NSO, unless noted.)

LEARN MORE