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All the United States Washington Goldendale Goldendale Observatory State Park
AO Edited

Goldendale Observatory State Park

A fine, large-aperture telescope available for public use.

Goldendale, Washington

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Kiri the Unicorn
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The newly renovated exterior of the building   RobertPakko / Atlas Obscura User
The main telescope   RobertPakko / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Washington's State Park System boasts many fine parks, including this often-overlooked gem.

Originally opened in 1973 as a city-owned facility, the observatory was purchased by the state in 1980 and since then has continued to offer public observation sessions and educational programs to all who have an interest in the starry sky above us. Day-to-day (night-to-night?) operations are conducted by an informative and largely-volunteer staff.

The observatory's primary instrument is a massive, custom-built Cassegrain-pattern reflector; at 24.5 inches in aperture, it's one of the largest telescopes available for public use in the United States. A number of other instruments are on site, and on the evening of my visit several amateurs (myself among them) set up their own portable telescopes, allowing visitors to skip waiting in line to peer through the big Cassegrain.

In 1979 the observatory was briefly the focus of international attention when it served as the National Astronomical League's official headquarters during a total eclipse of the Sun, which occurred on February 26th. Approximately 15,000 people came to Goldendale on that date to observe the eclipse.

Related Tags

Telescopes Collections Instruments Of Science

Know Before You Go

Visitors can register for completely free interpretive programs which provide the opportunity to use telescopes and learn about the cosmos. See the "visit" page on the observatory's official website for more details.

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Kiri the Unicorn

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RobertPakko

  • RobertPakko

Published

July 5, 2013

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Sources
  • Bruce Perrault, Washington State Parks, Wikipedia
Goldendale Observatory State Park
1602 Observatory Drive
Goldendale, Washington, 98620
United States
45.83892, -120.81383
Visit Website
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Nearby Places

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Photo of Goldendale

Goldendale

Washington

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Maryhill Museum and Stonehenge

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Photo of Goldendale

Goldendale

Washington

Places 2

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