The Community Observatory[1] is a public outreach observatory located in Placerville, California, on the campus of the El Dorado Learning Center.[2] The Community Observatory was established in 2006 through the work of the Rotarians of Cameron Park as free family-friendly park for the community. It is operated by a partnership of a team of volunteers, Folsom Lake College, the El Dorado County Office of Education and the Rotarians of Cameron Park.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/94/Art_Cort_Sky_Theater_at_the_Community_Observatory.jpg/220px-Art_Cort_Sky_Theater_at_the_Community_Observatory.jpg)
In 2011, the Rotarians of Cameron Park installed the Art Cort Sky Theater as a place for visitors to rest and gaze at the stars.[3] Their volunteers are often found providing tours of the constellations.
As of 2017, two telescopes are permanently mounted in the observatory: one 17-inch Planewave CDK[4] and one 14-inch Celestron SCT, modified to accommodate a Hyperstar optic system fitted with an Atik Infinity Camera.
As of 2017, the Community Observatory had received over 80,000 visitors. Hours can be found through its website, its Facebook page,.[5]
Acting as docents are volunteers with an interest in astronomy who donate their time and knowledge to make a visit to the observatory educational. They can provide information about celestial objects, the observatory facility, and telescopes.[6]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Main Website: http://www.CommunityObservatory.com
- ^ MAP: http://www.flc.losrios.edu/Documents/About/edc_map.pdf Archived 2016-09-19 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Rotary Club of Cameron Park: http://www.cameronparkrotary.org/membership.asp
- ^ Planewave Website: http://planewave.com/products-page/telescopes/17-inch-cdk-optical-tube-assembly/
- ^ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CommunityObservatory/
- ^ Docents: http://communityobservatory.com/docent.html Archived 2016-02-20 at the Wayback Machine