The Chico Community Observatory, located straight off East Avenue in Bidwell Park, has been fostering people’s care of astronomy for decades. With a very open, informative, and caring staff, it makes going there pleasurable to anyone. Having two telescopes inside and one outside, makes lots of space for everyone, even on the busiest nights.
They are open any weekend they see fit, meaning they will be closed if the weather does not align with plans of stargazers. On their Facebook, they have a link that takes you to an online calendar that they update for every possible day of business.
But just because they’re open, does that mean that’s where you should spend your weekends? I could see the same thing the observatory offers from my house, however, I do not have the space to look at the stars, planets, or moon with a group of my friends. Maybe you have a different issue when it comes to amateur astronomy. Maybe you have the space but it’s filled with light pollution. Or maybe you have the perfect area but no telescope. Or maybe you have everything you could physically need but have no knowledge of anything off of Earth. The Chico Community Observatory could be just for you then.
Whether you just want something to do on the weekend or have always been interested in learning more about astronomy, the Observatory is definitely a sight to see.