Greenbush Star Parties

History of the Observatory

Clyde Tombaugh, a farm boy from Burdette, Kansas, and the discoverer of Pluto became interested in astronomy and started building telescopes at age 20 with no formal training. In 1967, he built a 24-inch Cassegrain telescope with an f/15 focal ratio, designed specifically for planetary research. The telescope measures 30 inches at its widest, stands over 16 feet tall, and weighs 6,300 pounds.

After the closure of the Blue Mesa Observatory in New Mexico, where the telescope was housed, Dr. David Kuehn, a Pittsburg State University (PSU) professor and former graduate student at New Mexico State University, played a key role in relocating the telescope to Pittsburg, initially storing it in an airplane hangar while awaiting a permanent home.

In September 1996, a partnership between Craw-Kan Telephone Cooperative, PSU, Greenbush, and 30 school districts led to the construction of the PSU-Greenbush Astrophysical Observatory on the Greenbush campus. Tombaugh’s telescope was installed under the guidance of Dr. Kuehn and the PSU Department of Physics, providing a valuable resource for local education and scientific research.