Great Basin Observatory

The state of Nevada is home to Great Basin National Park and Great Basin National Park is home to the Great Basin Observatory (GBO), the first research-level, remote, robotically operated astronomical observatory ever to be located in any national park in the United States.  The GBO sits approximately 7,000 ft above sea level in a juniper pinyon grove under some of the darkest and clearest night skies in North America.  This presentation tells the amazing story of how the “impossible” dream of building the GBO became a vibrant reality.  Current and planned future uses of the GBO for research, teaching, and outreach will be discussed.  Finally, a spectacular collection of recently acquired full color astronomical photographs from the GBO will be shown.