The Las Vegas Astronomical Society (LVAS) is a non-profit organization of amateur astronomers that hope to spread the love and enjoyment of astronomy to the community. The LVAS Observatory site is located at Mt. Potosi Observatory, located approximately 30 miles southwest of Las Vegas in the Spring Mountains.
Problem
Successful stargazing and astrophotography depend highly on the weather. Not only does it have to be after sunset, and with less than 50% of the moon illuminated, but it also requires clear skies with little to no clouds. This makes planning events with the nearby schools, Scout Troops, and Service Organizations extremely difficult. The LVAS has to postpone and reschedule events often due to inclement weather.
Solution
By installing a 5-in-1 AcuRite Weather Station at the Mt. Potosi Observatory, they now have access to real-time weather information. They even have an office on the mountain with power and internet, so they also have installed an AcuRite Access for remote monitoring through My AcuRite. Volunteers, members of the astronomy club, and people interested in visiting the Observatory now have public access to the weather data through Weather Underground.
Results
With real-time weather data measured directly at the Mt. Potosi Observatory, the LVAS now has updated information on temperature, relative humidity, pressure, rainfall, wind speed and direction. This helps the organization schedule observation times for the club stargazing events, manage the schedule for public events more efficiently, and prepare events for the Boy Scouts summer camp events. And as a plus, they can now do astrophotography from their homes because they know safe and ideal conditions to open the dome even when they are off-site. Additionally, they have found the daily records useful for day-to-day operations and maintenance at the observatory (such as high and low temperatures, rainfall, and maximum winds).
The non-profit is excited that the AcuRite Weather Station will help expand and spread knowledge about astronomy to the community across southern Nevada. Learn more about the LVAS Education Outreach Program to schedule your own events or visit the observatory.
