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Upcoming Public Programs
Weather may cause delays, shortening, or cancellation of program. Remember the weather at the peak is frequently different than in Salinas. Always check our Program Status
Want to know what you will see? Check out our What's Up page.
Current Observatory Status:
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Real Time views of the weather
All programs are free and open to the public; however a $6 per vehicle state park parking fee applies. Here are detailed directions
Road Warning
The road to the park is a twisty mountain road with many blind curves. The park advises us that
the road contains many potholes.
We are willing to consider scheduling special programs for schools, scouts, or other groups {subject to staffing} .
Make all requests to info at fpoa dot net.
Video Tour of Our Programs
Evening Programs
Solar Programs
Videos by Guests
Planning your visit and Getting here
- Plan to visit during one of our public programs. For evening programs, we recommend that you arrive before sunset.
- The observatory is located in Fremont Peak State Park near San Juan Bautista CA. Driving time from San Juan Bautista is about 30 minutes, up the 11 windy miles of San Juan Canyon Road.
- For driving directions, check Google Maps or Apple Maps.
- After parking in one of the lots, remember to pay the day-use parking fee ($6 per vehicle) before walking to the observatory.
- The observatory is a short walk up the marked road, past the park ranger's residence. If you need a more detail explanation you can find it here
- FPOA programs are always free and no reservations are required. That being said if you are coming with a group of more than 10 we would appreciate hearing from you so we can plan staffing.
Keep your flashlights off beyond the ranger's house. We have red safety lighting from there to the Observatory. Allow time with your lights off for your eyes to adapt to the night so you can see the wonders of the sky. As part of this, please avoid lighted shoes, glowing jewelry, and lasers.
Layer your clothing. Early evening may be warm, but it can get chilly as the evening progresses.
Use only your eyes, not your hands, when observing. The lightest touch of a telescope or mount can cause a shaky view. Our solar scopes have parts that will come apart if incorrectly held.
Please read our additional tips for visiting.
Depending on the time of year and viewing conditions, we'll be looking through the telescopes at the moon, the planets in our solar system (from nearby Venus to distant Neptune), nebulas, star clusters, and galaxies. Sometimes we even have rare views of an asteroid or comet.
In General:
- Spring - Galaxies
- Summer - Milky Way, Nebula, star clusters
- Fall - Local Galaxies, star clusters
In 2023 a variety of planets will be available throughout the year
In addition to these, you'll be treated to sky-wide views of stars and constellations, the glowing milky way, and often meteors (shooting stars) or satellites.
During our daytime solar programs, you'll see the visible surface of the sun through a special telescope designed expressly for this purpose. You'll see the texture of the surface, solar prominences, and usually sunspots.
For more information see our What's Up page.
If you are planning to visit with a larger group of people, for example a school or scouting group, please contact us in advance by e-mail so we can make sure the proper resources are available.
With advance planning (a couple of weeks), we may be able to schedule a program on other nights for school, scout, church, and other groups.
Note that vehicles over 25 feet in length are not recommended on San Juan Canyon Road.
FPOA makes provisions for those not able to walk to the observatory from the parking lots. For more information see Accessible Access
About FPOA and our programs
The Fremont Peak Observatory Association is an all-volunteer non-profit organization dedicated to bringing astronomy to the public.
For over 30 years, we've been a favorite destination of families as well as school, scout, and church groups. Each year over 1,000 members of the public are treated to a multimedia presentation by an FPOA astronomer while the Saturday evening sun sets over the Pacific. As darkness falls and the stars emerge, they gaze in wonder at night sky’s splendors through the eyepiece of the 30-inch diameter Challenger Telescope, and a variety of sophisticated amateur telescopes, before returning to their campsites or homes.
FPOA will add special programs to its schedule for school, scout, and church groups {subject to staffing}. Over the years we have received many thank yous for our service. We maintain a special relationship with Hartnell College in Salinas.
FPOA operates the Observatory under contract with the State of California
For a more detailed introduction to the organization and our programs, please download and read this printable PDF brochure.
Get involved
The Fremont Peak Observatory Association is a volunteer-driven nonprofit, devoted to interpreting astronomy to the public. We rely on your support to continue our educational programs.
Come to our public programs.
Join or renew your FPOA membership.
As an Observer member, make use of our dark skies.
Donate to FPOA.
