Fort Phil Kearny’s Skylab seeks volunteers to reach the stars

While appearing on Sheridan Media’s Public Pulse program, Wyoming State Parks, Historic Sites, and Trails Absaroka District Interpretive Ranger Linley Mayer made a plea to the Sheridan County public, asking for volunteers to assist Fort Phil Kearny in reaching for the stars.

Many visitors to the fort will have seen the large white domed building on the site. But few know what it is and what it took to get it there. 

With things returning to a new sense of normal, Mayer told listeners Wyoming State Parks would like to get Skylab back on track to serve as Sheridan’s regional observatory. 

But the intricate systems and hardware need some TLC before Skylab can be fully operational. Since the observatory began as a community effort, the team at Fort Phil Kearny would like to continue that and are reaching out in search of volunteers to assist in servicing the many components that make the observatory work. 

On top of the volunteers needed for physically adjusting the dome, a programer is needed to help with computer systems using a program known as Stellarium, that will assist the observatory to identify and track stars and constellations in the night sky. 

The public can volunteer by contacting Interpretive Ranger Linley Mayer at linley.mayer@wyo.gov or by phone at 307-752-1429.