Eagle Lake Observatory

Overview

Location:
Carver County Baylor Regional Park
Address: 10775 County Road 33, Norwood-Young America, MN

Latitude: 44.8103

Longitude: -93.9397

Altitude: 1000 ft

The Eagle Lake Observatory is the main public outreach facility for the MAS. The site consists of the Onan Observatory, the Sylvia A. Casby Observatory and the HotSpot Classroom. The Sylvia A. Casby Observatory and the HotSpot Classroom became operational in the 2013 observing season and accompany the existing Onan Observatory which held its first public star party on April 28, 2000.

The Onan Observatory houses more than a dozen telescopes on four observing platforms. The observatory is open to the public and MAS members at scheduled times during the year. Public star parties are all-weather events (see FAQ below), assuring the observatory will be open to visitors.

The Sylvia A. Casby Observatory houses an 8″ TMB design refractor, a Takahashi Mewlon 300 Dall-Kirkham and a SV102 refractor. These telescopes set on an Astro Physics 3600 GTO mount, under a 12.5 foot Ash-Dome. Each observatory has the capability to display live video images of what the telescopes are viewing. These images are shown on monitors in each observatory as well as in the HotSpot Classroom. The HotSpot classroom provides a much needed building to conduct our presentations as well as a warming room for our guests to relax and enjoy live video feeds from the observatories telescopes throughout the night.