By day, this quiet expanse of land in rural Central Texas seems unremarkable. A cluster of eleven buildings, almost identical in appearance, could easily be mistaken for large, unassuming backyard sheds. Nearby, several spacious RVs are parked.
Yet, not long ago, this very spot was a pasture where cattle roamed.
However, as dusk falls on a clear evening, these structures begin to stir. Their roofs retract with a mechanical groan and creak, much like the lid sliding off a giant wooden box.
Inside, a truly astonishing sight is revealed: hundreds of telescopes, an automated army, subtly adjusting and turning. Their human operators, however, are far away.
Welcome to Starfront Observatories. For those eager to delve into the mysteries of the universe without leaving the comfort of home, this facility offers an unparalleled solution. Thanks to advanced digital cameras and high-speed internet, amateur astronomy has been transformed into a sophisticated, remote-controlled pursuit.
Modern telescopes offer far more than just a magnified glimpse of the night sky. For a growing number of enthusiasts, the primary goal is astrophotography – capturing breathtaking, long-exposure images of celestial wonders that are otherwise invisible to the unaided eye.
“This represents the most efficient approach to astronomical observation,” remarked Dustin Gibson, one of the company’s visionary founders.
The classic image of an astronomer venturing to a remote mountaintop to gaze through a telescope has been gradually diminishing for decades. Today, many professional astronomers orchestrate their observation missions from their own offices, sometimes thousands of miles away. They then review the fresh images and data on their computers the following morning.
This shift has also extended to the amateur community, with remote observatories emerging in various locations, including Utah, New Mexico, and Chile. However, these facilities typically serve highly dedicated hobbyists who invest in premium, costly equipment for the clearest, darkest skies.
Dustin Gibson and his three co-founders — Bray Falls, Nathan Hanks, and Josh Kim — envisioned a more accessible platform for stargazers. In just over a year since its launch, Starfront has expanded rapidly, now hosting over 550 telescopes, making it the largest facility of its kind globally.
The observatory accommodates a diverse range of instruments, from compact telescopes resembling security cameras to Mr. Gibson’s impressive behemoth, boasting a two-foot-wide mirror.
“Our core mission is to democratize space exploration and make the cosmos more approachable for everyone,” stated Mr. Kim.
Looking ahead, the founders envision educational institutions and universities utilizing Starfront, either by setting up their own telescopes or renting time, to provide students with direct opportunities to explore the universe.
“The universe transforms from abstract concepts in textbooks into tangible places in their minds,” Mr. Gibson explained.
For centuries, the night sky has captivated passionate amateur astronomers, who have frequently been the first to discover new comets, supernovae, and other fascinating cosmological phenomena.
However, amateur astronomy is neither inexpensive – a quality telescope can run into hundreds or even thousands of dollars – nor simple. Many live in urban or suburban environments where light pollution obscures the fainter celestial objects. Inclement weather and the discomfort of cold winter nights, especially in northern regions, further complicate observational efforts.
“It’s incredibly challenging when your entire experience hinges on transporting your equipment, then waiting for clear skies and optimal conditions,” noted Mr. Gibson.
Consequently, many aspiring astronomers abandon the hobby early on, their telescopes often relegated to storage.
The innovators behind Starfront propose a superior method: ship your telescope, digital camera, and computer to their Texas facility. There, a skilled technician will meticulously install your equipment onto a robust steel mount within one of the dedicated sheds.
This service is akin to renting a premium parking space for your telescope, complete with a high-speed data link. Prices begin at just $99 per month for the most compact telescopes.
These telescopes are capable of tracking specific celestial regions over multiple nights. During this extended exposure, digital camera sensors collect enough photons to unveil faint objects undetectable by the naked eye. Intriguingly, amateur setups often employ wider fields of view, allowing them to capture phenomena that might be overlooked by massive professional observatories, which typically focus on very narrow segments of the sky.
“This is a nebula I personally discovered in Virgo,” Mr. Falls proudly stated, gesturing towards a vibrant image of a supernova remnant within the Virgo constellation, an object that appeared as large as the nearby moon.
Mr. Falls, an expert night sky photographer, revealed that this particular image required approximately 180 hours of total exposure time.
“Many of the objects I observe are actually larger than the moon in our sky, but they are so incredibly faint that they are rarely captured in photographs,” Mr. Falls explained.
The four founders of Starfront initially connected through prior business ventures and a mutual passion for astronomy. Mr. Gibson, Mr. Hanks, and Mr. Kim previously collaborated at OurSky, a start-up specializing in software development for space data applications. Meanwhile, Mr. Falls and Mr. Gibson’s acquaintance spans years within the dedicated astrophotography community.
A few years prior, the team began their search for an ideal location, outlining several crucial criteria.
Foremost, the site needed to boast Class 1 darkness on the Bortle scale, the absolute darkest classification, named after amateur astronomer John Bortle. (For context, Manhattan’s Times Square registers a 9, making it one of the least suitable locations for cosmic observation.)
Consistent clear night skies were another essential requirement.
Initially, Texas didn’t seem like the most apparent location; deserts or mountain peaks in states such as New Mexico and California often offer darker, clearer conditions. However, a 15-acre plot beside a dirt road near the tiny community of Rockwood presented unique advantages, including crucial fiber-optic connectivity for high-speed, dependable internet.
Furthermore, Rockwood isn’t entirely isolated, with major cities like Austin and Fort Worth accessible within a three-hour drive.
The land was acquired last April, but as construction began on the initial sheds for the telescopes, an uncharacteristic torrential downpour cast doubt on the Rockwood choice.
“On the day we arrived, they experienced what was reportedly the heaviest rainfall in two decades,” Mr. Gibson recounted. “It was a truly nightmarish situation, and the standing water led to significant insect problems.”
Eventually, the rains ceased, the floodwaters receded, and the first two sheds were successfully erected.
Mr. Falls shared videos on YouTube detailing the Starfront concept, capturing the interest of individuals like Jonathan Semeyn from Kansas, near downtown Kansas City. “My astrophotography conditions are far from ideal,” Semeyn explained. “I have a tiny backyard with a very restricted view of the sky.”
Semeyn revealed that he accesses his telescope nightly whenever Texas skies are clear. In the latter half of the previous year, he accumulated over 800 hours of imaging time at Starfront, a stark contrast to the mere 100 hours he’d managed on his home telescope this year. “There’s simply no comparison,” he stated.
Starfront has actively partnered with its clients to optimize various telescopes for remote operation. Carlos Garcia, for instance, had acquired a Seestar S50, a compact telescope typically managed via a smartphone application.
While he enjoyed the device, he expressed frustration, stating, “In Miami, where I reside, I was fortunate to use it perhaps two nights a week, at best.”
He began reaching out to remote observatories, but the response was consistently dismissive: “They’d say, ‘You’re joking, right? That’s a $500 telescope; it’ll never work here,'” Mr. Garcia recounted. Furthermore, the cheapest monthly rate he encountered was $800.
Upon discovering Starfront, he subscribed to their most affordable plan, then priced at $149 per month, and promptly shipped his telescope to Texas.
Mr. Garcia produced a video tutorial demonstrating how he configured and operated his Seestar using a Mac. These compact telescopes now constitute a significant portion of Starfront’s operations. In the latest sheds, a dedicated steel beam at the front allows for a row of Seestars, offering an even more economical mounting solution at just $99 per month.
Starfront recently expanded its footprint by acquiring an adjacent 20-acre parcel, providing ample space for numerous additional sheds and telescopes. The company is also actively investigating the feasibility of establishing a second location in the Southern Hemisphere.
As the number of telescopes arriving at Starfront grew, the founders found themselves struggling to manage customer support.
“We were completely overwhelmed,” Mr. Kim remembered.
To address this, they established a vibrant community on Discord, an instant messaging platform, enabling customers to assist each other. Membership is open to all, not exclusively to those with telescopes at Starfront. This initiative has fostered a dynamic group dedicated to resolving technical issues and collaborating on combining data from multiple telescopes for enhanced image quality.
“Imagine 2,000 astronomy enthusiasts, all gathered in one digital space, discussing their shared passion,” Mr. Gibson remarked.
“And they’re quite entertaining!” Mr. Kim added with a chuckle.
