Owens Valley Radio Observatory
Just six miles from Big Pine, the Owens Valley Radio Observatory (OVRO) is one of the largest university-operated radio observatories in the world. Operated by Caltech, its collection of enormous dishes and antenna arrays sits on the floor of the Owens Valley between the Sierra Nevada and White Mountains.
OVRO is an active private research facility, not a conventional tourist attraction with daily public hours. The best opportunity to see the observatory up close is its annual public Open House, typically held in early June. Limited group tours may also sometimes be available depending on observatory operations.
For travelers staying in Big Pine, however, OVRO is worth knowing about even before you arrive. The observatory is one of the Eastern Sierra's most unusual landmarks, and some of the instruments visible across the valley are actively studying everything from distant galaxies to mysterious fast radio bursts.
Can You Visit the Owens Valley Radio Observatory?
Yes, but access to the Owens Valley Radio Observatory is limited.
OVRO is owned and operated by the California Institute of Technology and is an active, private scientific research facility. It does not currently advertise regular daily public tours or drop-in visitor hours.
The observatory does host an annual Open House, typically in early June. During recent Open House events, visitors have been able to tour parts of the facility, meet observatory staff, learn how the telescopes work, and see the enormous 40-meter radio telescope up close.
Outside the Open House, current Inyo County visitor information notes that limited group tours may sometimes be arranged, depending on observatory scheduling and availability.
Because research operations and public access can change, travelers hoping to enter the facility should check the official OVRO website or current Inyo County visitor information before making a special trip.
Even if you are exploring the area independently, remember that OVRO is a working research site rather than a public park. Do not assume that an open road or visible telescope means unrestricted public access.
Where Is the Owens Valley Radio Observatory?
The Owens Valley Radio Observatory is approximately six miles from Big Pine, California.
Although it's sometimes described as near Bishop, Caltech's own directions place OVRO six miles from Big Pine, making Big Pine the closest town and a convenient base for exploring this part of the Owens Valley.
Directions from Big Pine
From Big Pine:
Take State Route 168 east from the north end of town.
Continue for approximately two miles and cross the Owens River Bridge.
About a quarter-mile past the bridge, turn left onto Leighton Lane.
Leighton Lane leads toward the observatory property.
State Route 168 is also the highway used to reach destinations farther east in the White Mountains, including the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest.
Remember that arriving at the observatory entrance does not guarantee public access. OVRO identifies itself as a private research facility, so check current visitor information if entering the site is important to your plans.
What Is the Owens Valley Radio Observatory?
The Owens Valley Radio Observatory is a major radio astronomy research facility operated by Caltech's Department of Astronomy.
Unlike an optical telescope, a radio telescope does not primarily collect visible light. Instead, its antennas detect radio waves arriving from space. Those signals allow astronomers to study objects and events that may be difficult or impossible to understand using visible light alone.
Researchers at OVRO have studied phenomena including distant galaxies, black holes, the Sun, the early universe, cosmic rays, and fast radio bursts-brief and extraordinarily powerful pulses of radio energy from deep space.
Established in the 1950s, the observatory has grown into a collection of specialized telescopes and arrays rather than a single instrument.
Today, Caltech describes OVRO as one of the largest university-operated radio observatories in the world.
What Can You See at the Owens Valley Radio Observatory?
The most immediately recognizable part of OVRO is the enormous 40-meter radio telescope, but the observatory grounds contain several very different types of radio instruments.
From large traditional dishes to fields of relatively small antennas, each has been designed for a different kind of astronomical research.
The 40-Meter Radio Telescope
OVRO's 40-meter telescope is the landmark most visitors associate with the observatory.
Its parabolic dish measures roughly 130 feet across, making it dramatically larger in person than it appears from a distance.
The telescope has been part of radio astronomy research for decades. During its history, it participated in Very Long Baseline Interferometry, or VLBI, in which widely separated radio telescopes observe the same target and effectively work together as one enormous instrument.
One historic collaboration linked Owens Valley with the Parkes radio telescope in Australia, creating what was then the longest astronomical observing baseline in the world and achieving extraordinarily fine angular resolution.
Beginning in 2007, the 40-meter telescope was also used for a long-running program studying blazars in support of NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope.
Blazars are extremely energetic galactic nuclei powered by supermassive black holes. The OVRO program has monitored more than 1,800 of them at radio wavelengths, helping astronomers compare changes in radio emission with activity observed in gamma rays.
The Deep Synoptic Array
Another important project at Owens Valley is the Deep Synoptic Array, or DSA.
The current DSA at OVRO consists of 110 radio dishes designed largely to detect and precisely locate fast radio bursts, usually called FRBs.
Fast radio bursts last only milliseconds, but in that instant they can release extraordinary amounts of energy. Their origins were mysterious when they were first discovered, and locating them precisely enough to identify their home galaxies has become an important area of modern radio astronomy.
The technology developed through the OVRO array is also helping inform a much larger planned Deep Synoptic Array of 1,650 dishes in Nevada.
That future array is a separate project and is not another group of 1,650 antennas located at the Big Pine Observatory.
Owens Valley Long Wavelength Array
The Owens Valley Long Wavelength Array, or OVRO-LWA, looks very different from the giant 40-meter dish.
Instead of one enormous reflector, the LWA uses hundreds of relatively small dipole antennas spread across the observatory.
The array operates at low radio frequencies and can monitor enormous portions of the sky at once. Its research includes the radio signatures of cosmic rays, activity associated with stars and exoplanets, transient events in the universe, and signals that may help scientists investigate the period known as the Cosmic Dawn, when the universe's first stars and galaxies were forming.
The array has undergone several expansions, including an upgrade from its earlier 288-antenna configuration to 352 antennas.
A Radio Observatory in One of California's Best Stargazing Regions
There is an interesting contrast to visiting OVRO.
The observatory studies the sky primarily with radio waves, not visible light, but it sits in a region that is also exceptional for traditional stargazing.
Big Pine and the surrounding Owens Valley have relatively little artificial light compared with major urban areas. On clear nights, the combination of a broad valley floor, dry Eastern Sierra climate, and dark surroundings can create impressive views of the night sky.
OVRO itself should not be treated as a public stargazing location unless an event specifically allows it. Instead, think of the observatory as part of the larger astronomy story of the Owens Valley.
Travelers interested in astronomy can visit during an official OVRO public event and then experience the region's dark skies from an appropriate public location elsewhere in the valley.
Was Contact Filmed at the Owens Valley Radio Observatory?
No. The Owens Valley Radio Observatory is associated with the story of Contact, but its famous radio telescope scenes were not filmed at OVRO.
In Contact, Owens Valley is referenced as part of astronomer Ellie Arroway's academic background. The movie's memorable radio astronomy sequences instead prominently feature the Very Large Array in New Mexico, along with scenes filmed at Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico.
OVRO, however, does have a real Hollywood connection.
The observatory appears in the 1996 science-fiction film The Arrival starring Charlie Sheen. The story places its main character at a fictionalized version of Owens Valley, and the 40-meter telescope features in the film.
For science-fiction fans, The Arrival is therefore the movie with the genuine Owens Valley connection.
How Old Is the Owens Valley Radio Observatory?
Caltech established the Owens Valley Radio Observatory in the 1950s, during a period when radio astronomy was rapidly developing into a major field of astronomical research.
Its instruments have changed substantially since then.
Some historic facilities have been retired, while newer projects such as the Deep Synoptic Array and upgraded Long Wavelength Array represent much more recent generations of radio astronomy.
That mix of old and new is part of what makes OVRO interesting: instruments with decades of history share the valley with experiments addressing some of astronomy's newest questions.
Making OVRO Part of a Day From Big Pine
One advantage of visiting the Owens Valley Radio Observatory from Big Pine is that it doesn’t require committing to a long drive before you know whether it fits your plans.
OVRO is only about six miles from town, and the route begins on Highway 168.
That same highway continues east toward the White Mountains, making the observatory geographically convenient to combine with other destinations in the area.
Pair It With the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest
If road and seasonal conditions allow, one of the most interesting full-day combinations from Big Pine is astronomy followed by ancient natural history.
Continue into the White Mountains to visit the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, home to trees that have survived for thousands of years.
The observatory and bristlecones are very different experiences, but they share the same eastern approach from Big Pine and make an unusually memorable science-and-nature day in the Eastern Sierra.
Because the Bristlecone roads climb thousands of feet above the Owens Valley, always check seasonal road conditions before making the drive.
Start With Supplies in Big Pine
If you are heading out for several hours, Big Pine is the practical place to fuel up, pick up food and water, and check your route before leaving town.
Guests at Palisades Lodge can reach Highway 168 quickly and return to Big Pine for food and a comfortable place to stay after exploring the valley.
Frequently Asked Questions
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The Owens Valley Radio Observatory is approximately six miles from Big Pine. Caltech's official directions identify Big Pine as the nearest town and direct visitors east from town on State Route 168 before turning onto Leighton Lane.
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OVRO does not currently advertise regular daily public tours. The observatory hosts an annual public Open House, typically in early June, and limited group tours may sometimes be available depending on observatory operations and scheduling. Check current official information before planning a visit specifically around access to the facility.
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You should not assume unrestricted access. Caltech identifies OVRO as a private research facility. Public access is clearest during announced events such as the annual Open House, while other visits may depend on the observatory's current arrangements.
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The most prominent dish at the Owens Valley Radio Observatory is its 40-meter radio telescope, which is approximately 130 feet in diameter. It has been used for several major radio astronomy projects during its decades of operation.
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Research at OVRO includes black holes and active galaxies, fast radio bursts, the Sun, cosmic rays, transient astronomical events, and the early universe. Different telescope arrays at the facility are designed to observe different portions of the radio spectrum.
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No. Owens Valley is referenced in the story of Contact, but the movie's prominent radio-telescope scenes were filmed elsewhere, including the Very Large Array in New Mexico. The Owens Valley Radio Observatory instead appears in the 1996 science-fiction film The Arrival.
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Current Inyo County visitor information describes OVRO's public Open House as an annual event typically held in early June. Dates can vary, so check the observatory or current local event listings before making travel plans.
Stay Near the Owens Valley Radio Observatory
With the Owens Valley Radio Observatory only about six miles away, Big Pine is the closest and most convenient base for exploring OVRO and the surrounding Owens Valley.
Palisades Lodge puts you close to Highway 168 for trips toward the observatory and White Mountains while keeping you on Highway 395 for exploring the rest of the Eastern Sierra.
From radio astronomy and ancient bristlecone pines to hiking, fishing and some of California's darkest skies, Big Pine makes an easy starting point for seeing a quieter side of the Eastern Sierra.
Planning your trip? Explore our accommodations and book your stay at Palisades Lodge in Big Pine.
