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Picture
NGC 2244 - Rosette Nebula by Jay Ballauer

History

The history of the Cruzen Boys Black Hills Observatory (CBBHO) is just now being written.  With formalized planning of the observatory beginning in early 2014, site construction started on June 22, 2015.   Observatory build history and schedule is as follows:

June 22, 2015 - Groundbreaking and leveling of sub-base
June 23, 2015 - Instrument piers footings drilled
June 2015 - Electrical run to observatory slab
June 2015 - Conduit for electricity and data run
June 2015 - Slab footings and forms completed
June 2015 - Concrete poured for piers and slab
June 2015 - Poles dug and set for security cameras, weather sensors, all-sky camera, and seeing monitor.
June 2015 - Home-side of internet bridge installed. 
June 2015 - PoE security cameras mounted (not installed).
July 2015 - 17" Planewave CDK and FLI Proline 16803 delivery
June 2016 - 14.5' Pier-Tech PTD1 delivery and installation
Fall 2016 - Instrumentation installation
Early Spring 2017 - First light and initial testing/troubleshooting
Late Spring and Summer 2017 - Beta testing of remote systems

Who are we? 

Dr. William Cruzen

Dr. Cruzen is an accomplished physician from Illinois.  Recently retired, he built a home in Northeast Wyoming in a beautiful, dark sky location bordered by the Black Hills National Forest.  It has been his dream to build a world-class amateur observatory, a place where he can learn astronomy and share it with his family and friends.  Dr. Cruzen is the vision behind CBBHO.

Jay Ballauer

Mr. Ballauer is a amateur astronomy veteran and a well-known astrophotographer with many publications and awards to his credit.  A high school math teacher in "real-life," Jay has built several observatories and has consulted on many others.  Teaming with Dr. Cruzen from the beginning, Jay has brought a versatile skill set with him, able to handle the comprehensiveness of astronomy instrumentation, networking infrastructure, construction, and instruction.  Many of his own astronomy images can be found at his own webpage at www.allaboutastro.com. 

Observatory Construction History (most recent images first)

Feb. 2016 - PierTech PTD1 dome fabrication (courtesy Vito Rotundi)
Feb. 2016 - PierTech PTD1 dome fabrication (courtesy Vito Rotundi)
Feb. 2016 - PierTech PTD1 dome fabrication (courtesy Vito Rotundi)
July 2, 2015 - Cured with expansion cuts
July 2, 2015 - Cured with expansion cuts
July 2, 2015 - Smoothing it out
July 2, 2015 - Double-teaming it
July 2, 2015 - Filling in the gaps
July 2, 2015 - More cement
July 2, 2015 - Pouring the first of the pier footings
July 2, 2015 - Beginning of the pour
June 30, 2015 - Progress made on the footings
June 30, 2015 - Footings dug
June 30, 2015 - Electrical and Access conduit laid
June 25, 2015 - Foundation forms set
June 25, 2015 - Foundation forms set
June 25, 2015 - Creating the curved radius forms for the slab
June 25, 2015 - Using math to square the layout
June 25, 2015 - Workers laying out forms for the slab
June 25, 2015 - Second pier site near the home
June 23, 2015 - Dr. Cruzen oversees the drilling of the telescope piers
June 22, 2015 - Sub-base finished with Cruzen home in background
June 22, 2015 - Sub-base leveled and ready
June 22, 2015 - Laser leveling the sub-grade
June 22, 2015 - Dr. Cruzen oversees the progress
June 22, 2015 - Consultant Jay Ballauer
June 22, 2015 - Consultant Scott Christensen
June 22, 2015 - Breaking ground for the observatory slab.
June 22, 2015 - Access to the observatory dome site
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