PrimaLuce Lab president Filippo Bradaschia and engineer and former NASA astronaut José Hernández look toward the sky near the observatory dome outside Janice Horst Branch Library in Lucerne Valley on Wednesday, June 12, 2024. Both Bradaschia and Hernández played key roles in bringing the observatory to the San Bernardino County Library. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)
San Bernardino County is putting finishing touches on an observatory that will give visitors to the Janice Horst Branch Library views of the sky above Lucerne Valley beginning in August 2024.
On Wednesday, June 12, library officials trained on the equipment in preparation for public use. The white, dome-like structure sits outside the library on Allen Way and, once the telescope is installed, visitors will be able to see images captured by it inside the library.
PrimaLuce Lab president Filippo Bradaschia explains the astrophotography program to librarians at Janice Horst Branch Library in Lucerne Valley on Wednesday, June 12, 2024. The dome-like structure outside the library will allow visitors to see images captured by the observatory’s telescope, which opens in Aug. 2024. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)
San Bernardino County’s Janice Horst Branch Library in Lucerne Valley is nearing completion of its observatory, seen on Wednesday, June 12, 2024. The telescope will allow visitors to view the stars starting in Aug. 2024. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)
San Bernardino County’s Janice Horst Branch Library in Lucerne Valley is nearing completion of its observatory, seen on Wednesday, June 12, 2024. The telescope will allow visitors to view the stars starting in Aug. 2024. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)
PrimaLuce Lab president Filippo Bradaschia and engineer and former NASA astronaut José Hernández look toward the sky near the observatory dome outside Janice Horst Branch Library in Lucerne Valley on Wednesday, June 12, 2024. Both Bradaschia and Hernández played key roles in bringing the observatory to the San Bernardino County Library. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)
1 of 4
PrimaLuce Lab president Filippo Bradaschia explains the astrophotography program to librarians at Janice Horst Branch Library in Lucerne Valley on Wednesday, June 12, 2024. The dome-like structure outside the library will allow visitors to see images captured by the observatory’s telescope, which opens in Aug. 2024. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)
Details on when the observatory will be available for public use will be shared at a later date.
“We are currently looking at what the program hours will be for the observatory itself, as it can only be utilized to see the night sky,” county librarian Melanie Orosco said in an email Thursday, June 13.
Library staff members are learning how to operate the telescopes and will develop programming, she said. A grand opening is expected sometime in August.
The $194,000 project takes advantage of the dark and clear skies above Lucerne Valley most nights and is intended to be a way to introduce High Desert kids to STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) careers, library officials have said.
