Hosting

Looking for telescope hosting in Texas? Let us host your equipment at the Prairie Skies Astro®  Remote Observatory in Central Texas!

Benefits

Individuals – 

• Zero time spent setting up and taking down equipment before and after imaging

• No more driving out to dark sites late at night

• No need to polar align before starting an imaging session

• Dark skies (21 - 22 SQM!) which means fewer subframes needed and more detail captured in each image

• Better tracking/guiding thanks to rock solid steel pier mounts and exact, consistent polar alignment

• No more sitting out freezing in the cold or sweating in the heat "babysitting" equipment

• Fewer late nights and less sleep deprivation

• Equipment is safe and protected from harm, providing peace of mind

• Low monthly lease fee

• Ability to "sell time" on telescope when not in use, thereby monetizing it

Corporations – 

• Ability to quickly test and rate new equipment

• Ability to provide remote instruction

• Marketing benefits (live sessions, video tutorials, social media, etc.)

• Ability to "sell time" on telescope when not imaging, thereby monetizing it

• Provides a venue to hold live courses in astrophotography and astronomy

The Site

Praire Skies Astro® Ranch is a beautiful 47 acre ranch conveniently located in central Texas just 2 1/2 hours from Houston or 2 hours from Dallas and only an hour from Waco. The ranch boasts wide open dark skies, gorgeous scenery, and observation blinds for patrons to enjoy and take photos of local wildlife (birds, deer, etc.). The ranch also has nature trails speckled with bird houses and feeders for those seeking a peaceful trek through the forest. Additional benefits include:

• SQM: 21 - 22

• Little to no sky glow

• 200 clear nights a year

The Facility

Our facility is a brand new, state-of-the-art fully automated sliding roof style observatory capable of handling telescopes of almost all sizes and shapes. Telescopes are anchored on rock-solid custom steel piers provided by Praire Skies Astro® with plenty of room to store equipment and other necessities. Telescopes do not need to be parked for the roof to close, and have a low horizon limitation in all directions (20 - 45 degrees). Additional benefits include:

• Standard power and connectivity

• Advanced weather monitoring system with all-sky camera

• Security camera network

• Internal climate monitoring and control including dehumidifiers

• Ethernet-enabled power outlets

• Network attached storage for image repository and cloud transfer

• Rock solid steel piers

• Living quarters for temporary visitors (sectioned-off room with space for bedding)

• Fencing with wind mitigation around facility

Services

Initial Setup - We will help you set your telescope and mount up along with all of your equipment, software, and remote connections! If you'd like us to transport your equipment to the observatory and set everything up without you, we can do that to!

Maintenance - We offer a range of services to keep your equipment running in tip-top shape, including but not limited to:

• Troubleshooting/Adjustments

• Filter and equipment change-outs

• Telescope collimation

• Polar alignment

• Basic cleaning

• Balancing

For more advanced needs, we have technicians ready to help!

Space is limited! If interested, please contact us at contactus@prairieskiesastro.com!