JACKSON, Wyo. — Construction atop Snow King Mountain, for the new and first of its kind observatory and planetarium is underway.
It is the first observatory at the top of a ski area in North America and the first public education focused observatory with a one-meter telescope. The Observatory will have a 24-foot AstroHaven dome along with the one-meter PlaneWave telescope. The telescope will be one of the largest state-of-the-art telescopes in the world dedicated primarily to public outreach.
The facility will also include an eight-meter digital planetarium with capacity for 30, a classroom/theater space, galleries with interactive exhibits, and event space.
“The facility will be an iconic science learning center in the Rocky Mountain West,” said Ryan Stanley, Snow King Mountain Resort’s general manager.
Observatory designer Jakub Galczynski has been hard at work to make this project come to fruition since 2015, with architect Jamie Farmer joining on in 2021.
The planetarium and observatory are anticipated to be completed around late summer/early fall of 2023.
