The Chico Community Observatory, also known as the Anita Ingrao Observatory, is a

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

astronomical observatory An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial, marine, or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geophysical, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed. His ...

owned and operated by

Kiwanis Kiwanis International ( ) is an international service club founded in 1915 in Detroit, Michigan. It is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, and is found in more than 80 nations and geographic areas. Since 1987, the organizatio ...

Club of Greater Chico. It is located in Chico, California's upper

Bidwell Park Bidwell Park is a Urban park, municipal park located in Chico, California. The park was established July 10, 1905, through the donation by Annie Bidwell, widow of Chico's founder, John Bidwell, of approximately of land to the City of Chico. Since ...

. Entrance to the

observatory An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial, marine, or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geophysical, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed. His ...

is free as the facility operates on donations and

volunteers Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve ...

Anita Ingrao

Anita Johanna Ingrao was previously co-director of the

and was involved as a volunteer since the opening in 2001. She had a passion for teaching children about

astronomy Astronomy () is a natural science that studies astronomical object, celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and chronology of the Universe, evolution. Objects of interest ...

. In 2009 she was even invited to the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...

to teach kids about

science Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence for ...

in an event organized by

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...

. She also worked on

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...

program '' 400 Years of the Telescope'' with her fiancé, Kris Koenig as well as ''Assaulted: Civil Rights Under Fire, Sight: The Story of Vision,'' and her Los Angeles Area Emmy-winning telecourse '' Astronomy: Observations and Theories''. In 2014, she died at 51 years old from stage 4

breast cancer Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or a re ...

and the

was named after her. Today, the

is directed by Bill Koperwhats.

Renovations and Theft Issues

Because of the facility's reliance on private donations, the

has had issues with repairs and replacements of their expensive equipment that has forced the

to shut down for months at a time.

Solar Panel Theft

In 2009, unknown suspects stole three of their six

solar panels A solar cell panel, solar electric panel, photo-voltaic (PV) module, PV panel or solar panel is an assembly of photovoltaic solar cells mounted in a (usually rectangular) frame, and a neatly organised collection of PV panels is called a phot ...

and damaged the remaining. It was initially believed that the

would need to close down until they were able to afford the

which costed about $2,500 each. This issue was quickly resolved within a month of the incident when an anonymous donation made it possible to replace and fix the

and the

was up and running again.

Closing of Summer 2017

In summer 2017, the

closed due to

mechanical Mechanical may refer to: Machine * Machine (mechanical), a system of mechanisms that shape the actuator input to achieve a specific application of output forces and movement * Mechanical calculator, a device used to perform the basic operations of ...

troubles for an entire year. The

needed $8,000 for repairs. Finally, the

batteries Battery most often refers to: * Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power * Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact Battery may also refer to: Energy source *Automotive battery, a device to provide power t ...

air conditioning Air conditioning, often abbreviated as A/C or AC, is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space to achieve a more comfortable interior environment (sometimes referred to as 'comfort cooling') and in some cases also strictly controlling ...

, and retractable roof were repaired in July 2018, which was made possible by community donations.

References

External links