Mount Laguna Observatory

About Us:

Mount Laguna Observatory (MLO) is located forty-five miles east of San Diego, at an altitude of 6100 ft. (1859 meters) on the remote eastern edge of the Cleveland National Forest. MLO is well protected from the urban lighting of the San Diego metropolitan area. This remoteness, along with the high percentage of clear nights and excellent seeing, makes Mount Laguna one of the best overall observatory sites in the continental United States. MLO has grown to include four well-equipped telescopes, ranging in size from 21- to 50-inches (0.5- to 1.25-meters), which are used for research by the faculty and students. High-speed Internet connectivity is provided by the High Performance Research and Education Network HPWREN. The 50-inch Phillips Claud Telescope is now under construction. It will be housed in the dome of the original research telescope when the observatory was dedicated in 1968.