Central Oregon is home to two International Dark Sky destinations and is one of the best places in the state to look up at the stars and experience the vast night skies. Look below to find information about places to view the dark skies, observatories, and more.
Local Observatories & Resources
Pine Mountain Observatory
34 Miles SE of Bend
Contact: Alton Luke, Operations Manager, aluken@uoregon.edu, 503-382-8331
Oregon Observatory
57245 River Rd. Sunriver, OR 97707
Contact: Paul Poncy, Observatory Director, paul@snco.org , 541-593-4394
Asterisk Observatory
10136 NE Crooked River Dr. Terrebonne, OR 97760
Contact: Cassie Fallsheer, cfallscheer@gmail.com , 530-487-5615
Prineville Reservoir State Park
Prineville, OR 97754
DarkSky Oregon (local dark sky non-profit)
Michael McKeag, michael.mckeag@darkskyoregon.org
Bill Kowalik, bill.kowalik@darkskyoregon.org
Grant Tandy Astronomy & Photography (local “sidewalk astronomer”)
Grant Tandy, granttandyphotography@gmail.com
Instagram: @tandytimes
Find more information about why Central Oregon is one of the best places to stargaze and experience the dark skies.
Other Useful Resources
The Constellations – find a list of all star constellations and when to view them.
Discover the phases of the moon.
Click HERE to track the International Space Station.