Lowell Observatory Lowell Observatory Lowell Observatory is an astronomical observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. Lowell Observatory was established in 1894, placing it among the oldest observatories in the United States, and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1965. In 2011, the Observatory was named one of "The World's 100 Most Important Places" by TIME. It was at the Lowell Observatory that the dwarf planet Pluto was discovered in 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh. The observatory was founded by astronomer Percival Lowell of Boston's Lowell family and is overseen by a sole trustee, a position historically handed down through the family. The
Fremont Peak Observatory Fremont Peak Observatory Fremont Peak Observatory (FPOA) is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by Fremont Peak Observatory Association. Built in 1986, it is located in Fremont Peak State Park, near San Juan Bautista, California. Fremont Peak Observatory houses the Challenger telescope. The observatory is named after the mountain it resides on, Fremont Peak which was itself named for American explorer and U.S. Army Captain John C. Frémont. Previously the peak had been named for the Spanish word for hawk, Gabilan Peak. The California state park service "acquired the peak in 1936". The first group to use the peak as