UVU Plans Observatory at Capitol Reef Field Station

Orem, Utah — October 21, 2026

Utah Valley University is seeking to raise funds to build an observatory with a fixed telescope at its Capitol Reef Field Station, according to Roland Griffith, the university’s director of development for academic affairs, who presented the idea at a recent Quantum conference at UVU.

The proposed facility would add astronomical observing infrastructure to a field station that supports learning, research and creative work in the Colorado Plateau. For UVU, the fundraising effort presents an opportunity to expand how students and faculty engage with the landscape, extending their exploration beyond the terrain to the sky above it.

Four architectural renderings depict the proposed observatory complex at UVU’s Capitol Reef Field Station, showing outdoor telescope viewing areas, connecting walkways and low-profile buildings beneath sandstone cliffs. The elevated view at lower right reveals a cylindrical observing enclosure alongside adjoining structures. Graphic: UVU

Adding an Observatory to the Field Station

UVU’s Capitol Reef Field Station operates through a partnership between the university and Capitol Reef National Park. Situated atop a mesa within the park, the station supports engaged learning, environmental ethics, research and creative work focused on the surrounding region.

The proposed observatory would build on that existing educational setting rather than establish a separate campus. Architectural materials supplied with the announcement place the observatory within a site that includes classrooms, dining facilities, dormitories and solar panels.

This schematic site plan shows the proposed observatory (dark green) and new residence (light green) at UVU’s Capitol Reef Field Station in relation to existing facilities. The observatory sits beside a labeled patio, near utility infrastructure and the station’s solar-panel array. Farther to the right are the Moenkopi and Chinle dormitories and the Kayenta classroom and dining hall. *Graphic: UVU*

The plan calls for an observatory of 857 square feet, including observing and storage space.

Architectural concepts for UVU’s Capitol Reef Field Station showing daytime views of the proposed residence with nighttime views of the observatory. At left, a sheltered porch and large windows connect the residential design to the surrounding sandstone landscape. At right, two renderings illustrate the observatory’s proposed roll-off roof in different positions beneath a star-filled sky. *Graphic: UVU*

The central element of the fundraising proposal is a fixed telescope, such as a PlaneWave Instruments telescope, most likely a CDK700 system. a .7 meter telescope. The fiinal system design has not yet been disclosed.

For students and faculty, the project’s significance will depend on the opportunities it creates: which courses could use the facility, what observations or research it could support, and how it would complement the field station’s existing programs. The field station already gives university groups a place to connect academic work with direct experience of the Colorado Plateau.

UVU is considering a fixed telescope such as a PlaneWave Instruments CDK700, a 0.7-meter telescope, roughly 27.6 inches in aperture. *Graphic: UVU*

More information about the station and its mission is available on UVU’s Capitol Reef Field Station website.