Explore Scientific Two-Room Pop-Up Go Observatory Tent

An observatory keeps dust, dew and wind off a telescope and blocks glare from stray lights, but a roll-off roof or a dome costs a lot and needs a permanent site. The Explore Scientific Two-Room Pop-Up Observatory Tent is the portable version: release the band and it pops up into two 60 x 60 inch rooms with 50 square feet of space. It sets up or comes down in a couple of minutes wherever there is flat ground and a clear view of the sky.

Key Features

• Pop-up design, no poles to assemble. Release the band and the tent pops up from its pack, join the two rooms with the hook-and-loop seam, and stake it down.
• Two rooms, 50 square feet. Each room is 60 x 60 inches: the telescope in one and the computer gear in the other, or two complete telescope systems.
• Five-foot walls and six-foot windbreak walls.
• Blackout-coated fabric. Blocks out stray light, is waterproof and offers UV protection.
• Flame-resistant to CPAI-84. Explore Scientific's instructions add that it is not fire-proof: keep flames and heat sources away from the fabric.
• Large doors. 42 inches high by 36 inches wide, into the tent and between the rooms. They roll down to keep moisture out and close with heavy-duty zippers.
• 120 x 180 inch top cover. Coated and water-resistant, it protects the gear from the sun by day and from dew or a surprise rain shower.
• Folds to a 27-inch disk 4 inches thick, small enough for a small car or a flight to a remote site.
• Stakes and cords included. 12 paracords with cord locks and 12 ground stakes, plus extra hoops for heavy-duty straps from a hardware store.

Ideal For

• Astronomers without an observatory who want dust, dew and wind kept off the telescope, at home or at a dark site.
• Imagers who run a computer beside the telescope, with the computer gear in one room and the telescope in the other.
• Observers with two telescopes, one in each room.
• Travelers to star parties and dark sites: it folds small enough for a small car or a flight.

Accessories & Compatibility

Explore Scientific suggests a ground cloth tarp from a hardware store under the tent, for more protection from the elements and from insects. Pitch it on a level site clear of rocks, branches and other hard or sharp objects, and not under trees, where lightning and falling limbs are a risk in bad weather. A hammer for the stakes is not included.