SkyPi Remote Observatory
Excellent remote imaging in a superb environment.
or visit https://skypionline.com/
Remote Astronomy doesn’t come easy.
Let’s put it this way: it’s hard. To be able to do it well is very hard and the darker you want your site, the harder it gets. The inverse rule applies in a very simple way. The darker the site, the fewer resources there are to make it useful. When is the last time you were bowled over by the Milky Way after just stepping out of a well-equipped accessible remote observatory?
When you commit that you will pursue your best searching, researching, data collecting, and data perfecting, then you’re done with the backyard.
Located in New Mexico, SkyPi boasts Bortle Dark Scale 1 sky.
An altitude of nearly 8,000 feet places the site above the majority of particulates and haze that plague many lower sites. Snow falls in winter, but rarely, and the summer monsoon, mid July to early October, often gives way to clear pristine sky as the sun’s energy wanes through the evening.
The average total precipitation is 14.31 inches and 50% falls during the days of monsoon months.
Though our original intent was to build a personal observatory, the addition of pier space was a logical evolution.
Our mission is to make remote observatory hosting affordable to a larger portion of the astronomy community. SkyPi provides exceptional service and support with rental of a pier for remote hosting at the best price possible.
Items and services that SkyPi will provide:
12” or 16″ diameter concrete pier with a 1″ aluminum upper plate, machine drilled for your mounts’ bolt pattern.
Electrical power
20+ amp, CGFI Circuit protection
Digital Loggers remote switching 10 outlet AC power control
1500Va Battery Backup
Internet access
Secure network and network resources
Password protected access to all video surveillance
Emergency services will be dealt with immediately
Regular equipment maintenance at no additional charge
Urgent services are taken care of within 24 hours (call/text or e-mail)
A technician and other personnel are available for technical assistance
Locked gate security to the site.
Testimonials
“My name is Bob Rieger, and I have leased a pier at SkyPi for the past two years. John and Jan Evelan are first rate capable and considerate folks who go out of their way to make sure everything is set up, and runs well at SkyPi. I wholeheartedly endorse SkyPi Remote Observatory for anyone considering an advanced astro imaging hobby.”
— Bob Rieger
“I have had my Paramount MX and 14.5” iDK setup at SkiPi for a little over a year. John and Janet we extremely helpful in getting me setup on site. I was moving from a site in Southern Arizona, but was buying a new OTA. They arranged to the have OTA shipped to here home in Mesa and transported it to the site, which was a major help. The observatory pods are very well constructed and the piers are exceptionally solid. They had a plate setup that matched my MX bolt pattern so it was a simple matter of getting everything in place and connected.”
— Jeff Lewis
“After carefully searching for the ideal location to host our Astronomical Telescope for Educational Outreach (ATEO), we chose SkyPi Remote Observatory. Not only did the physical location turn out be phenomenal for imaging and research but the service provided by the staff went completely above and beyond what are expectations were during the install of the telescope. Their response time to any technical issues and special requests is extremely prompt. We cannot imagine hosting our remote robotic telescope anywhere else!”
— Mike Petrasko, Insight Observatory
“My astroimaging equipment has been stationed at SkyPi Observatories, owned and maintained by John & Jan Evelan, since November 2015. During that time I have learned that a remotely operated observatory can encounter many issues with hardware, software, and connectivity for a multitude of reasons. One thing that has impressed me deeply is that John and his crew of technicians have always been available and have toiled tirelessly, if needed, to solve the issues and keep my equipment running.”
— Bob Taylor
Get in touch to inquire about pier availability.
Outstanding images acquired at SkyPi
