Chiricahua Sky Village and the Personal Remote Observatory
“Nothing remotely like it!”
Chiricahua Sky Village (CSV) is a community that offers amateur astronomers a new approach to observing the universe. The Personal Remote Observatory (PRO) is an invention that makes remote imaging easier and much more affordable than ever before. When partnered together, CSV and the PRO have a powerful synergistic effect on each other and create a dark sky experience that cannot be matched anywhere else.
CSV
CSV is a 92-acre community of amateur astronomers in Cochise County, Arizona. Modeled after the highly successful Goldendale Sky Village in eastern Washington state, it offers a dark sky site from where people can visually observe and image the universe. The share price is $2,500, and a minimum purchase of 2 shares is required to become a member. In exchange for their capital contribution, a member is given the right to use 2,500 square feet of land per share for astronomical purposes. The village offers a special observing environment that looks and feels like a permanent star party.
The PRO
The PRO is a small, simple roll-off roof observatory constructed from readily available materials. It can accommodate OTA’s up to 40” long, runs on solar power, and is connected to the internet via StarLink. Rigorous testing in the harsh conditions of the Arizona desert has shown that it is highly reliable and requires minimal maintenance.
The CSV-PRO partnership
CSV gives PRO owners a safe and secure dark sky site from where they can image. With its Bortle 1 skies, an average of 286 sunny days per year, southern latitude, and long winter nights, conditions are practically perfect. The PRO gives CSV a reputation for excellence, which leads to growth. This is a unique partnership that makes dreams come true.
Easier and more affordable
Operating a PRO at CSV makes remote astro-imaging easier and more affordable than ever before. Here’s how:
1. A special class of shares has been created for those who primarily wish to locate a PRO at CSV and image from there. These so-called ‘PRO shares’ cost $1,250 each and only one is required for membership. In exchange for their capital contributions, new PRO members are given the right to use a 500-sf ‘PRO lot’ within the village’s PRO array. This lot is large enough to comfortably accommodate the PRO with its solar panels.
2. The PRO is built by Simple Systems of Phoenix, Arizona, and costs $10,311. A breakdown of this price: materials $3,160, labor + delivery $3,895, pier $185, and solar panels $3,071. PRO members with construction skills can build their own PRO at CSV for significant savings. Materials are readily available at the local hardware store or online.
3. Once the initial membership and construction costs are paid, future costs are minimal. This is in stark contrast to what remote imagers are obliged to pay every month when they lease a pier at a telescope hosting facility.
4. Aside from the advantages of owning their own remote observatory, PRO members also enjoy part ownership of the land on which it stands. This means they have a personal stake in the well-being of the village and incentive to ensure its continued success.
5. While only one PRO owner can own a PRO share and vote, there are no limits to what arrangements can be made privately regarding the use of his or her PRO. This means that PROs can be shared between observing buddies or even rented. All users are required to individually purchase the Voyager and Viking imaging software.
6. On- and off-site CSV members can provide technical assistance when it is needed. Most of the time, such assistance will be provided by fellow members who are being neighborly and are unlikely to charge for the service. There are times, however, when an hourly charge would be more appropriate. By standardizing the observing equipment and software (Voyager and Viking) inside the PRO, maintenance and servicing costs are kept to a minimum.
7. PRO members who, for whatever reason, don’t wish to image remotely at CSV any longer, can sell their shares and their PRO at whatever price the market will bear. Depending on demand, they have the potential to recoup their prior investment in its entirety, or even make a profit.
The final word
Our generation’s big bang in technology has led to a plethora of astronomical discoveries. With each new gravitational wave, bizarre exoplanet, or stunning James Webb image we are becoming ever more fascinated by the universe. The computers we use to guide telescopes and process data have more power than ever before, and they just keep improving. Images that once could only have been taken by large professional observatories are now routine for amateur astronomers operating affordable equipment in their own backyards. The next challenge is remote imaging, which liberates observers from cloudy, light polluted skies and enables them to gather data throughout the year. The biggest obstacle in the way is the high cost of leasing space in somebody else’s observatory. The CSV-PRO partnership promises to change everything and make remote imaging easier and more affordable than ever before.
Christopher Smythies
chiricahuaskyvillage dot com
