Observatories

Julian, California, Named an International Dark Sky Community!

Five years after beginning its dark-sky journey, the southern California mountain town of Julian has been accredited by the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) as an International Dark Sky Community. It is the thirtieth such designation in IDA history, and only the second in California. Congratulations Julian!

Julian Dark Sky Network

Borrego Night Sky Tours

Sights that boggle the mind are visible each night in the clear dark skies over Southern California's Anza-Borrego Desert. Colorful stars, stellar clusters, planets, star-forming nebulae, Earth-orbiting satellites, distant galaxies and more. 

Borrego Night Sky Tours

Julian's Annual StarFest

Each year, Julian hosts a stargazing festival with astronomers guiding visitors.  You can take this star tour using the many telescopes set-up in the viewing area.  Experts will be on hand to answer questions about what your looking at and about the telescopes. 

**The Julian StarFest will not be held in 2021 due to Covid, check back for event dates in 2022.**

Julian StarFest

Mount Laguna Observatory (SDSU)

Mount Laguna Observatory (MLO) is at an elevation of 6,100 ft. on the remote eastern edge in the Laguna Mountains. MLO is well protected from the urban lighting of the San Diego metropolitan area. This remoteness, along with the high percentage of clear nights and excellent seeing, makes Mount Laguna one of the best overall observatory sites in the continental United States. MLO has grown to include four well-equipped telescopes, ranging in size from 21- to 50-inches (0.5- to 1.25-meters), which are used for research by the faculty and students. 

SDSU Astronomy Department

Palomar Observatory

The Palomar Observatory is located approximately 45 minutes from Julian. It is a world-class center of astronomical research that is owned and operated by the California Institute of Technology.  The observatory is home to five telescopes that are nightly used for a wide variety of astronomical research programs.  The Observatory is open to the public daily (except December 24 and 25) for daytime visits.

Palomar Observatory