About

Pine Mountain Observatory, located 34 miles southeast of Bend, is perched atop a mountain at an elevation of 6,300 feet. The observatory’s location is well placed to make the most of the dark skies that the Eastern Oregon high desert provides.

The observatory is operated by the University of Oregon Department of Physics under a special use permit from the Deschutes National Forest. The observatory’s primary function is research and other astronomical observations, including basic and advanced scientific research. However education at all levels is also an important function and objective of the observatory.