BY KAREN BOSSICK

The Idaho Dark Sky Alliance is ramping up its work to celebrate and protect Idaho’s dark skies.

The 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization broke ground this summer on an observatory in Stanley’s Pioneer Park constructed of recycled logs saved from a dismantled log house. Equipped with a roll-off roof, it will house a powerful 14-inch telescope to provide detailed view of stars, planets and other deep-sky objects for observing and astrophotography.

“Having the observatory in the heart of Stanley, near the school, will help provide us with an incredible hands-on opportunity to educate students, community members and visitors about the importance of ensuring our dark skies remain dark,” said Mayor Steve Botti.

Additionally, the Idaho Dark Sky Alliance is launching a fundraising campaign to raise $200,000 to better protect and preserve the dark skies of Central Idaho’s Dark Sky Reserve for future generations of people and wildlife.

“We recognize the need to expand our educational offerings in the community, work more closely with cities and counties, and continue to advocate for improved dark sky lighting throughout the Reserve,” said Carol Cole, the organization’s board chair. “Completing the new observatory is also an important part of the campaign. So far, we have raised $48,000 toward our goal of $200,000, but need the community’s help to finish what’s been started.”

Come spring 2026 the Idaho Dark Sky Alliance plans to hold a First Light Event and Observatory Opening to celebrate the completion of the observatory, Cole added. It will include speakers, educational displays and opportunities to see the stars through the telescope.

The Idaho Dark Sky Alliance was established in 2020 following the 2017 designation of the Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve as the first Dark Sky Reserve in the United States. One of the largest pools of natural nighttime darkness left in the United States, the reserve covers 906,000 acres or 1,416 square miles, including the communities of Sun Valley, Ketchum, Stanley, Lower Stanley and Smiley Creek.

The alliance’s volunteer board of directors have organized an astronomer-in-residence speaker series in Stanley and the Wood River Valley, school programs, educational programs on lighting principles to preserve the dark skies and more.

Learn more at https://idahodarksky.org/. Or, contact info@idahodarksky.org.