Frisco observatory to open next year

MILFORD (AP) — The University of Utah will soon have an observatory on Frisco Peak in Beaver County.

The $1 million project has been in the works since 2001. It is expected to be operating next year and will include a 32-inch remote-controlled telescope.

The site northwest of Milford was selected after associate professor Wayne Springer and a physics graduate student investigated other possible locations in southern Utah to find the spot offering the best viewing qualities.

Springer says the new observatory will be better than the one the university operates at its Salt Lake City campus.

Frisco Peak has an elevation of 9,600 feet. Construction on the project started July 16.

The 18-foot-tall observatory sits on an 8-foot platform.