Sunriver Scene July 2026 - Flipbook - Page 13
Sunriver stargazers have a larger window to the universe, thanks to local donors
By Observatory Staff
On a clear, dark winter night,
you can walk outside and see
the closest major galactic neighbor with your naked eye.
That’s the Andromeda Galaxy (M31), and it’s on course
to collide with the Milky Way,
though thankfully not for billions of years. To find it, look
for the “W” shape of the Cassiopeia constellation. Use the
“V” shape on the right side
of the W as an arrow, following it downward to locate a
faint smudge.
Binoculars reveal it as a larger,
hazy glow. That glow is the
closest major galaxy to the
Milky Way, about 2.5 million
light-years away and the most
distant object visible to the
unaided eye.
For an even better view of
this neighboring galaxy, visitors
can attend a nighttime program
at Sunriver Nature Center &
Observatory (SNCO). There,
guests look through state-ofthe-art telescopes that excel at
revealing deep-sky objects such
as the Great Orion Nebula and
the Andromeda Galaxy, two
favorite targets throughout the
winter and into spring.
Two such telescopes include
an 18-inch JMI Newtonian
reflector dedicated to longtime
SNCO volunteer and staff
member Larry Cerullo, who
passed away in 2021, and a
16-inch Lightspeed Newtonian
reflector. These instruments
are housed, along with three
others, in the “East Starport,”
ful stewards of this special
place or it’ll look like all the
other places.”
an expansion to Sunriver Observatory completed in 2022
and made possible through the
generosity of longtime Sunriver
residents John Schuldt and
Mary Chisholm.
Observatory expansion:
Creating space for discovery
If you haven’t yet experienced the expansion firsthand,
its story reflects the growing
enthusiasm for astronomy in
Sunriver. Thanks to the area’s
dark skies and SNCO’s impressive telescope collection,
stargazers enjoy exceptional
viewing opportunities. Over
the years, generous donors
gifted telescopes to SNCO but
without more space, there was
no way for them to be shared
with visitors.
For years, the Newtonian
telescopes and others remained
in storage without a suitable
home. The observatory needed additional space to house
these instruments and better
serve an increasing number
of visitors. The expansion was
designed to create room for
more telescopes, address rising
attendance and long wait times,
and provide a more welcoming
experience for guests eager to
explore the night sky.
Designed to complement
the original structure, the new
wing features a roll-off roof
identical in function and style
to its counterpart, the West
Starport. Local donors Tom
and Robyn Hansen sponsored
the expansion of the lobby, and
SNCO donors Mary Chisholm and John Schuldt.
SNCO completed an interior
remodel of the Gilmore Foundation dome room.
Observatory Manager Paul
Poncy said the additional space
created by the expansion has
greatly improved the visitor
experience by decreasing wait
times and allowing more freedom to move about the observatory.
“It makes for a great experience for visitors and volunteers,” Poncy said.
A shared commitment
to Sunriver
Schuldt and Chisholm have
supported Sunriver Nature
Center & Observatory for
many years. They were inspired
to preserve opportunities for
the community to enjoy the
natural world and the night sky.
“It’s always been important
to us to support SNCO and
to pay attention to keeping this
area the way it should be, not
letting it get taken over by commercialization,” Chisholm said.
Schuldt reflected on what
makes Sunriver unique.
“Very few communities are
lucky enough to have a nature
center and observatory,” he
said. “We must be thought-
From a startup to a
global reach
Schuldt and Chisholm’s philanthropy grew from a business they built together over
four decades. John founded
MicroRidge Systems, Inc. in
Federal Way, Washington in
1983. He initially developed
software for the forest products
industry that helped mills accurately measure and control
lumber sizes. At a time when
long-term data tracking was
rare, MicroRidge’s technology
allowed sawmills and plywood
plants to collect, analyze and
act on real-time measurement
data. In 1984, after the initial
product hit the market, Mary
joined the company.
After moving the company to
Sunriver in 1988, the company
expanded into general manufacturing, becoming known
for its ability to interface a
broad range of measurement
devices directly with computers. In 2006, first-generation
Turn to Observatory, page 19
JULY 2026 SUNRIVER SCENE
Page 13
