Robert Ferguson Observatory

PUBLIC ACCESS: The Robert Ferguson Observatory is open to the public only on scheduled monthly events. The observatory can be rented for private star parties and other events. Please visit our homepage at: www.rfo.org for complete information and calendar of events. You can also visit our Facebook [Events] tab.

Robert Ferguson was an avid amateur astronomer who built telescopes and shared his enthusiasm for astronomy with everyone he met, especially children. He started the Striking Sparks program; a program that gives away telescopes each year to Sonoma County school kids. The telescopes are provided by the Sonoma County Astronomical Society, an organization that Bob was affiliated with for many years. Bob was the inspiration for the development of an observatory as an educational and public resource for the community and so it bears his name.

The idea of a community observatory was in the “dream stage” for about ten years. The Valley of the Moon Observatory Association was founded in July of 1995. Phase 1 of the Observatory (the West Wing) was completed in February, 1997. The second phase (the classroom, bathrooms, library and East Wing) was finished in May, 1999. The final phase, the construction of a domed observatory for our 8” refractor, was completed in early 2003.

The VMOA was allowed to build an observatory inside Sugarloaf Ridge State Park by the State of California. One of the former State Park District superintendents, an amateur astronomer, was an advocate for the idea. The State felt that an observatory would encourage/increase park visitation. The observatory was a community-supported initiative committed to strengthening local science and mathematics education, which also appealed to the State Parks.

The observatory is sited in a location that, on first glance, appears to be less than ideal. Although it appears that the surrounding trees obscure the field of view, it is actually the Observatory walls that limit the telescopes’ range. Additionally, being sited with a protective ring of hills decreases the influence of light pollution from surrounding cities.

The Valley of the Moon Natural History Association (VMNHA) was the parent organization of the Valley of the Moon Observatory Association (VMOA). It is responsible for the recruitment and initial training of new volunteers and docents for three of the Silverado District parks: Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, Jack London State Park and Annadel State Park.

You can join RFO by becoming a subscriber. There are currently four levels of subscription: “Star” (for kids under 16); “Nova” (for an individual adult); “Binary” (for couples); and “Constellation” (for families). Subscriptions can be purchased online at www.rfo.org under "Join Us!" or through the mail at VMOA, P.O. Box 898, Glen Ellen, CA 95442. Subscribers support interactive science education in the community, receive the quarterly newsletter: “Focused,” and are given a 10% discount on Observatory merchandise and programs.

The Observatory is open for monthly public star parties January through November. Other public events like classes and fundraisers are announced in the media and on our website. All public solar sessions are free of charge, and public viewing nights are $3 for adults and free for children under 18. Private use of the observatory and the adjacent campground is available. The campground reservation fee is $165. The reservation fee for the Observatory is $155 including Observatory staff. Both must be reserved for private events, for a total cost of $320 for the observatory and campground.