Pay yearly
Seestar, Dwarf & other compact smart scopes
Seestar S30–S50
Dwarf Mini, Dwarf 3 & Draco
Smaller models by most other brands
Compact refractors & camera-lens systems
AM3, WD17 or similar compact mount.
RedCat 50, SQA55, HOPE 60 or similar small-aperture refractor, plus Samyang 135 lens systems.
4″ refractors & medium-size imaging systems
AM5, AM7, CEM40, Paramount MYT, GM10 or EQ6.
SQA106, FSQ-106 or similar 4″ refractor, 150 mm Newtonian, or 8″–9.25″ RASA / SCT.
5″ refractors & larger reflectors
AM7, Paramount MX, CEM120, EQ8 or GM1000.
SQA130 or similar 5″ refractor, 10″–12″ RC, 11″ RASA / SCT, or 10″–12″ Newtonian.
Large observatory-class equipment
ME2, GM2000 / GM3000, AP1100 or AP1600.
Larger RC systems, 12″–14″ Newtonians, 14″ RASA / SCT, or 17″ PlaneWave.
One system · up to 48″ swing
Observatory, internet, AAG weather station, power, roof motors, and steel piers
Astronomy equipment, any control equipment, a UPS, etc., and a dedicated pier if required
Solar imaging · up to 48″ swing
Observatory, internet, AAG weather station, power, roof motors, and steel piers
Astronomy equipment, any control equipment, a UPS, etc., and a dedicated pier if required
One large system · up to 110″ swing
Observatory, internet, AAG weather station, power & roof motors, 24″ Paramount-style pier
Astronomy equipment, any control equipment, a UPS, etc., and a dedicated pier if required
Two or three systems · one private space
Observatory, internet, AAG weather station, power, roof motors, and steel piers
Astronomy equipment, any control equipment, a UPS, etc., and a dedicated pier if required
Hosting gives your own telescope a permanent position at the 3.14 Astronomy Complex. You remain in control of your equipment and your data while we provide the agreed pier or observatory space, power, internet access and site infrastructure.
Choose a position that suits the swing diameter and needs of your system. You can install it yourself or ask our technicians to complete the installation, setup and polar alignment for you.
Open the sections further down this page for full information about contracts, installation, ongoing maintenance, site rules and the realities of operating equipment at a remote high-altitude observatory.
Equipment and availability will be announced soon. Keep an eye on this page for the full details.
COMING SOONWe are finalizing the system specification and launch schedule. More information will be added here shortly.
COMING SOONThis complete remote system is still being prepared. Telescope details and availability are coming soon.
COMING SOONAnother rental choice is on its way. Check back for the equipment list and expected start date.
COMING SOONA further complete imaging system is planned. We will publish its equipment specification and availability here.
COMING SOONRental gives you remote use of a complete RoboScopes telescope system without buying or hosting your own equipment. You plan and capture your own images while RoboScopes owns, maintains and insures the system.
Rentals run monthly with 30 days’ notice to end the rental. Your data is yours for personal use, and a small private group of friends may share a rental, but commercial use is not permitted.
One of Askar’s new-generation astrographs, with a tiny spot size and superb correction across a larger sensor. Fitted with a Player One Poseidon camera, it is ideal for imaging large nebulas.
COMING SOON20 Spaces
We are working through the equipment and data plan. Keep an eye on this page for membership details.
COMING SOON20 Spaces
This syndicate is still taking shape. The system specification, shared-data allowance and availability are coming soon.
COMING SOON20 Spaces
One more shared imaging option is planned. We will publish the full details as soon as everything is confirmed.
COMING SOON20 Spaces
A PlaneWave CDK17 paired with a glorious L500 direct-drive mount is a match made in heaven for long-focal-length imaging.
COMING SOON20 Spaces
A syndicate is a shared data pool for a group of like-minded imagers. RoboScopes owns, operates, maintains and insures the telescope, while members work together on suitable targets and receive the resulting data.
Syndicate membership runs month to month with at least 30 days’ written notice to cancel. Members do not control the equipment or observatory computer, and source data stays within the syndicate rather than being resold, given away or uploaded to free-data services.
In astronomy, just like real estate, location is everything.
It has taken us a while to establish a home in the United States, but we wanted to get the location right. We were looking for a place where we could build for the long term.
After an extensive search, we chose Pie Town, New Mexico.
It’s a remarkable location. Over the past few decades, this part of New Mexico has seen very little population growth, industrial development or light pollution. With its high elevation, dry climate and exceptionally dark skies, Pie Town is already a favorite among astronomers who know the area.
For us, choosing a dark site for today wasn’t enough.
We wanted a place that we could trust to stay dark for many years to come. We didn’t want the night sky to change beyond recognition a few years after we arrived.
You can build better observatories. You can install better telescopes. You can improve technology.
But you can’t rebuild a dark sky once it’s gone.
That philosophy is at the heart of our new 3.14 Astronomy Complex.
We've chosen a place where astronomy feels at home in its surroundings. The Milky Way still dominates the night, darkness stretches from horizon to horizon, and the landscape gives us the chance to create something special.
Pie Town isn't just where we found some land. It's why we chose to build here, and we can't wait to share the skies with you.
3.14 Astronomy Complex has been designed by astronomers, for astronomers. That distinction matters to us.
From the beginning, we knew we didn’t want to create another high-density astronomy farm by simply filling a site with as many telescopes as possible.
We wanted something more personal: an astronomy complex that our customers can really be part of.
We want our customers to know where their telescope lives.
Our team can install your equipment for you, or better still, come to New Mexico and install it yourself.
Stay with us, work on your equipment and experience the extraordinary skies that brought us to Pie Town.
For astronomers who prefer observing with their own equipment, we are creating a dedicated observing and imaging area with space for visiting telescopes.
We want 3.14 to become somewhere clubs, groups and friends can gather for star parties, observing weekends and special astronomical events.
We are astronomers ourselves, and the entire 3.14 concept has been designed around the kind of facility we would want to use.
Come and meet the team. We want our customers to feel part of the facility rather than simply having equipment stored at a distant site.
Remote astronomy needs a dependable connection. You rely on it to control your telescope, check an imaging session and download a night’s observations.
Our multi-Starlink approach uses Ubiquiti load balancing to distribute internet traffic across multiple connections, providing more capacity and greater resilience while reducing reliance on a single link. This helps support simultaneous users and demanding image transfers, keeping you connected to your equipment from wherever you are.
Looking ahead, we plan to move to a dedicated fiber connection in late 2027, providing additional capacity to support the observatory’s growing needs.
Our observatory IT infrastructure has been designed from the outset to support your astronomy today and grow with your needs.
Built around professional Ubiquiti networking, it supports telescope control, equipment monitoring and imaging data transfers, with centralized management giving our team visibility across the network.
We’ve already built 10 Gbps fiber-optic infrastructure into the observatories ahead of our planned move to a dedicated fiber connection in late 2027. It will give us room for larger imaging files, future equipment upgrades and more users, without having to make disruptive changes later.
Many companies save their best offers for new customers. We think the people who stay with us deserve to be rewarded too.
After your first year of hosting, renew your place with RoboScopes and you’ll be entitled to a loyalty discount. Your discount is based on your monthly hosting price:
You can renew monthly or yearly and still receive your loyalty discount. We want you to feel at home under our skies, and we think staying with us should come with a benefit.
Monthly payments: Once you have made 12 consecutive payments for a hosted pier, the discount starts with payment 13 and continues on later payments while your hosting continues.
Upgrading your pier: Moving to a larger pier during those first 12 months does not start the count again, provided your payments continue without a break. When the discount begins, its rate is based on the monthly price of your upgraded pier.
Adding another pier: Each pier has its own 12-month qualifying period. If you add a second pier seven months after the first, the second pier earns its discount after its own first 12 months. One pier cannot borrow the other’s payment history. Nice try, though!
Paying for a year in advance: If you pay for your first 12 months in full, the loyalty discount is applied automatically when you renew for the following year. At that point, you can pay for another year in full or switch to monthly payments.
Personal observatories: The same rules apply to each personal observatory. Its qualifying period and discount are based on that observatory’s own continuous hosting, separately from any other pier or observatory you have with us.
We want a stay at 3.14 to be more than somewhere to put your head. It should be a chance to feel at one with the land, the surroundings and the extraordinary night sky, with astronomy woven into the experience.
We expect accommodation to begin coming online in fall 2027, starting with two or three RV spots at the northeast end of the complex. Astronomy viewing pods are planned to follow, opening in groups of three.
Each accommodation space is intended to have its own powered spot for personal imaging or visual astronomy, so you can make the most of the skies on your own terms.
At dusk, the pods’ systems will automatically turn off white lighting so that only red lighting works inside. A complex-wide no-white-light policy will help protect the night sky after dark.
Our trained staff plan to offer guided tours of the night sky using a large on-site Dobsonian, alongside practical help with telescope guiding, observing and imaging techniques, and classroom sessions on image processing.
An annex to the main reception is planned as a place to learn, swap ideas and relax with fellow astronomers. It will include classroom space and an astro lounge with tea and coffee facilities. We hope to add a bar in the future.
We want to build relationships with local businesses so guests can enjoy organized activities such as horseback riding and nature tours. And a visit to Pie Town ought to leave time for some serious pie eating.
3.14 is being built around astronomy, so we only have one blanket rule for guests after dark: no white light anywhere on the complex. Red lights and flashlights are absolutely fine, provided they are kept at a sensible brightness. White light is not, whether you are inside your accommodation, out in the observing field or around the observatories.
All accommodation will have both white and red lighting installed, but it will be smart wired. Once we reach dusk, the white lighting will automatically be disabled and only the red lighting will work inside. White lighting will be available again during daylight hours.
Arriving after dusk: If you arrive after dark, please use your vehicle’s parking lights only while maneuvering and parking wherever it is safe and practical to do so, and switch them off as soon as you are parked. Safety comes first, of course, but please keep headlights and other bright vehicle lighting to the absolute minimum.
We know this is a little different from a normal hotel or vacation resort, but that is rather the point. People are coming to 3.14 for the dark sky, and one bright white light can spoil it for a surprising number of people. Keeping the site red after dusk means everyone gets the night they came for.
Please bear this in mind before booking. If spending the evening under red light would not suit you, 3.14 may simply not be the right accommodation choice, and we would much rather you knew that before arriving than found out afterward.
Come for the stars. Take time for the landscape, the people and the experience of being here.
Shared observatories have been brilliant for astronomy. By sharing the cost of the building and infrastructure, remote imaging under world-class skies is now within reach of far more people, not just those with very deep pockets.
The catch is space. A 59″ swing diameter is still not a huge amount of room, so wherever possible please use a mini PC. Mount it either on top of your system, as shown in the image, or neatly to the side of the pier.
We do have room at the base of the pier for a small 6U rack cabinet if you prefer a cabinet-style installation, but we don’t have room for huge mega-core gaming PCs, kitchen sinks and toolboxes. Keep it sensible and compact. Gathering data doesn’t need the kind of powerful PC you might use later for processing.
Our standard Atomic piers are available in light and medium-duty versions. Both accept M6, 1/4″, 3/8″, M10 or M12 mounting bolts, making them compatible with most modern telescope mounts, especially harmonic-drive models.
If your mount needs a dedicated adapter, we can supply one for most popular mounts. Typical costs are $99–$200, depending on the mount and adapter required. Any additional adapter is charged separately from the installation or reservation fee.
Our larger Atomic piers for 84″ swing diameter systems have a 300 mm diameter × 15 mm thick top plate, pre-drilled for Paramount ME, MX and Strzyga mounts. Other mounts can be accommodated with an appropriate adapter.
Every Atomic pier has base and rear access openings, giving cables a clear route from top to bottom without snagging.
Each pier customer has approximately one A4 / US Letter-size storage box, 3–4″ high, for small items such as spare cables, filters and accessories needed for filter changes.
We cannot store large equipment cases, shipping boxes or packaging. Please arrange return shipping or let us know if you would like us to dispose of them. Unless return shipping has been arranged, cases, boxes and packaging left on site for more than four weeks will be disposed of.
If you remove your equipment during your first 12 months of hosting, an uninstall fee equal to one month's hosting fee applies, whether you take it down yourself or ask our team to do it.
After the first 12 months, you are welcome to uninstall your equipment yourself at no charge. If you would rather have us do it, we can quote for the work and agree the cost with you first.
We can also pack your equipment for return shipping. Please supply suitable boxes and packing materials, along with a prepaid shipping label. We recommend arranging insurance for the full value of your equipment. Packing is quoted separately for each pier, and we will agree the cost with you before any work begins.
RoboScopes is not responsible for loss or damage caused by the carrier while your equipment is in transit.
Cabling nightmares: Cables and power must be tidy and safe, not like a snake’s wedding. No 120 V power above pier height, ever.
Park position: In a shared room, maintenance staff need clear access down the aisles. Please park pointing north with the counterweights down. It’s the only position that works for everyone.
Downloading: Please do not download data during peak viewing and setup times. For us, that means from one hour before sunset until three hours after sunset.
After dark: No flats, no white light and no light pollution. Cover all equipment LEDs with tape, or better still a small dab of black paint or nail polish.*
IR cameras, etc.: No IR illumination in the building, ever. Our own cameras don’t use IR, so yours shouldn’t either :)
After dark: No flats, no white light and no light pollution. Cover all equipment LEDs with tape, or better still a small dab of black paint or nail polish.*
IR cameras, etc.: No IR illumination in the building, ever. Our own cameras don’t use IR, so yours shouldn’t either :)
*After-dark white-light rule: If maintenance staff have to go into an observatory after dark because white light has been left on, we keep it very simple: the plug gets pulled for the night. We have lives and beds to be in too. It may sound a little harsh, but after many years of remote hosting, and enough 11 p.m. phone alerts wailing like a klaxon because someone has left a light on, your patience wears pretty thin :)
Quick, occasional jobs are on us. That includes things like reconnecting a cable or covering a telescope for dark frames. If a request becomes frequent, we’ll let you know before it becomes chargeable.
During our normal 9 a.m.–5 p.m. hours, other maintenance is $20 per 20-minute period, with a $20 minimum charge.
Work outside those hours is priced case by case. Travel or fuel costs may also apply; we’ll explain any additional charges before the work goes ahead.
Our experienced team aims to find the cause and fix it efficiently, rather than leave you paying for repeated attempts. If a job looks likely to take more time, we’ll discuss it with you first so there are no surprises.
This is the plain-English agreement for telescope hosting at the 3.14 Astronomy Complex in New Mexico. The customer named on the order is “you”. The RoboScopes company named on your order or invoice is “RoboScopes”, “we” or “us”.
The price, billing frequency, applicable taxes and any agreed one-time charges are those clearly presented to you before you sign up and recorded in your order confirmation or invoice. That record confirms the pricing agreed for your service. Later changes to website prices do not alter a period you have already paid for. Changes to future monthly charges are subject to the notice provisions below.
You are buying a hosting service and a reserved equipment position. This is not a tenancy or lease of land or a building, and it does not give you any ownership or property rights in the site.
Your order confirms the hosted position, start date and price. We provide the agreed pier or observatory position together with the site services described on the 3.14 page, including power, internet access, weather and safety systems and reasonable access for remote operation.
Monthly hosting continues month to month until you or we end it under this agreement. You can also choose to pay 12 months in advance where that option is offered. A year paid in advance receives 12 months for the price of 11.
Monthly fees, taxes and any one-time charges are shown when you book. We will give at least 30 days’ notice of a change to the monthly hosting price. A prepaid 12-month price will not change during the period already paid for.
A prepaid year is for the full 12-month period and is normally nonrefundable if you choose to leave early, except where the law requires otherwise. If we end the service without a breach by you and cannot provide the hosting you paid for, we will refund any unused full months.
You may cancel monthly hosting by giving us at least 30 days’ written notice. Email to
If your equipment is removed during your first 12 months of hosting, an uninstall fee equal to one month’s current hosting fee applies. This applies whether you remove the equipment yourself or ask us to do it. After the first 12 months, you may remove it yourself at no charge. If you want our team to uninstall it, we will agree the cost with you first.
Installation and removal visits must be arranged with us in advance so that staff can safely manage access to the observatory.
Your equipment remains your property. You are responsible for making sure it is suitable for unattended remote use, properly tested and safe. You must not install hazardous, damaged or unsuitable equipment.
Your system must have equipment-appropriate surge protection and a properly sized UPS or battery backup, unless we agree another suitable arrangement in writing. It must also be configured to shut down safely during an extended outage and restart safely when power and communications return. We may refuse to connect, or may isolate, equipment that does not meet these requirements.
The practical rules on the 3.14 page form part of the hosting service. In particular, cables and power must be tidy and safe, no 120 V power is permitted above pier height, shared-room systems must be parked north with the counterweights down, large downloads must avoid our peak setup period, and there must be no white light or IR illumination after dark.
We may power down or isolate equipment without notice if we reasonably believe it is unsafe, causing light pollution, interfering with other customers, damaging the site or putting equipment or people at risk.
You allow RoboScopes staff reasonable access to your equipment when needed for safety, maintenance, inspection, emergency shutdown, installation or removal.
Small occasional jobs are normally on us. Other maintenance is charged at the rate shown on the 3.14 page. We will tell you before chargeable work goes ahead unless urgent action is needed to make the site or equipment safe.
Astronomy is weather dependent. We do not guarantee clear skies, seeing, observing time, a particular number of usable nights, uninterrupted operation, internet, communications or grid power. Weather, smoke, wildfire conditions, lightning, satellite trails, moonlight and similar observing conditions are not faults in the hosting service.
We use reasonable care to maintain the site and its systems, but planned maintenance, mechanical or automation failures and unexpected outages can happen, including overnight. Immediate overnight attendance or intervention is not guaranteed. If the hosting service itself is unavailable for a prolonged period because of a fault that is our responsibility, we will deal with it reasonably and may provide a credit where appropriate.
3.14 is a remote, high-altitude observatory. Equipment operates unattended and depends on moving mechanical parts, electronics, computers, automation, software, grid power, internet and other communications. Even well-maintained systems can jam, fail, disconnect or behave unexpectedly. You accept these normal risks of remote operation and understand that access or an on-site response may be delayed, particularly overnight, during severe weather or when travel to the site is unsafe or impractical.
RoboScopes is not responsible merely because your equipment breaks down, malfunctions or fails to complete an imaging session. We are also not responsible for loss or damage caused by the design, condition, age, compatibility or failure of your equipment, software or instructions, unless the loss was directly caused by our failure to use reasonable care while working on it.
Neither you nor RoboScopes will be responsible for delay or failure to perform an obligation when it is caused by an event genuinely outside that party's reasonable control. This includes severe weather, wildfire, lightning, flood, natural disaster, grid, utility, internet or communications failure, government action, civil emergency, crime despite reasonable site security, transport disruption, supply-chain failure and similar events commonly called force majeure or acts of God.
The affected party must take reasonable steps to reduce the disruption and resume performance when it is safe and practical to do so. This clause does not excuse payment already due, and it does not exclude any liability that cannot lawfully be excluded. It does not protect RoboScopes from its own gross negligence, fraud or willful misconduct.
RoboScopes does not insure customer equipment. You must maintain adequate insurance for the full replacement value of all hosted equipment and accessories. Your cover must be appropriate for remotely operated astronomy equipment and remain in place while the equipment is in transit, hosted at 3.14, being removed, stored or returned. It should cover relevant risks including weather, lightning, power events, theft, accidental damage, mechanical failure and data-loss exposure where suitable cover is available. We may ask you to confirm that cover is in place.
Insurance is not a substitute for backups. You are responsible for keeping your own copies and backups of images, data, software, configuration files and license keys.
All images and data produced by your hosted equipment belong to you. You may use, share, give away, license or sell that data as you choose, including for business or other commercial purposes.
You may also sell or share access to your hosted system, sublet its use as part of your own business, or form a private syndicate with friends. Anyone you allow to use the system must follow these terms and the site rules. Your contract remains with RoboScopes, not with your customers, friends or syndicate members, and you remain responsible for all fees and for the actions of anyone using the service through you.
We will take reasonable care of your equipment, but RoboScopes is not an insurer. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we are not responsible for loss, damage, delay or interrupted service caused by the remote-operation risks and events outside our reasonable control described above, or by carriers and other third-party services.
We are not responsible for lost observing or imaging time, lost data, lost profit or other indirect or consequential loss. Nothing in this agreement excludes responsibility that the law does not allow us to exclude, or excuses RoboScopes from its own gross negligence, fraud or willful misconduct.
Except for those matters that cannot legally be limited, our total liability arising from the hosting service is limited to the hosting fees paid for the affected position during the 12 months before the event giving rise to the claim.
You are responsible for damage, loss or claims caused by your equipment, your visitors, your instructions or your breach of these terms, except to the extent that the loss was caused by RoboScopes.
If you ask us to pack equipment for return shipping, you must provide suitable packaging and a prepaid shipping label unless we agree otherwise. Packing charges are agreed before the work starts. Once the carrier has collected the parcel, transit risk sits with you and your insurer. RoboScopes is not responsible for loss or damage caused by the carrier.
If a monthly payment is 15 days overdue, we may suspend remote access and network services after contacting you. If it remains unpaid for 30 days, we may safely power down the equipment and move it to secure storage. Reasonable removal, handling and storage charges may apply.
We will not sell, dispose of or treat customer equipment as abandoned unless we are legally entitled to do so and have given any notice required by law.
We may make reasonable changes to operational or safety rules when needed to protect people, equipment, the dark sky or the site. Where practical, we will give notice before a material change takes effect.
If we make a material change to this agreement that affects your monthly service, we will give at least 30 days’ notice. If you do not want to accept that change, you may cancel before it takes effect.
This agreement is governed by the law of New Mexico. Any dispute that cannot be resolved informally will be dealt with by a court with jurisdiction over Catron County, New Mexico. Any mandatory consumer rights that cannot legally be waived still apply.
Your order, this agreement and the site rules in force when you book make up the hosting agreement between us.
Contracts are provided in English. If you are unsure of any wording, please seek help from a qualified translator before agreeing.
This is the plain-English agreement for renting a complete RoboScopes telescope system at the 3.14 Astronomy Complex. The customer named on the order is “you”. The RoboScopes company named on your order or invoice is “RoboScopes”, “we” or “us”.
The price, billing frequency, applicable taxes and any agreed one-time charges are those clearly presented to you before you sign up and recorded in your order confirmation or invoice. That record confirms the pricing agreed for your service. Later changes to website prices do not alter a period you have already paid for. Changes to future monthly charges are subject to the notice provisions below.
You are renting remote access to the telescope system named on your order. RoboScopes owns the telescope, mount, cameras, computer and other supplied equipment. Nothing in this agreement transfers ownership to you.
You may control the system and plan your own imaging while your rental is active, subject to weather, site rules, safety limits and any maintenance downtime.
The rental runs month to month. You may end it at any time by giving us at least 30 days’ written notice. Email to
We may change the monthly price by giving at least 30 days’ notice. We may also end the rental on 30 days’ notice, or sooner if you seriously misuse the equipment, interfere with its safety systems or fail to pay.
You may choose to pay for a year in advance where offered, receiving 12 months for the price of 11. The prepaid price is fixed for those 12 months.
A prepaid year covers the full 12-month period and is normally nonrefundable if you leave early, except where the law requires otherwise. If we end the service without a breach by you and cannot provide what you paid for, we will refund unused full months.
You may change normal imaging plans, targets and user settings. You must not alter the mount’s safety limits, pier-flip settings, pointing model, homing or park position, weather automation, power controls, drivers, network settings, security settings or safe shutdown and restart arrangements.
Do not remove or disable the remote-support software, monitoring tools or safety software installed by RoboScopes. Do not install software that could interfere with the system. If you need a protected setting or system configuration changed, ask us and we will make the change where it is safe to do so.
We may suspend access or restore the approved configuration without notice if we reasonably believe the equipment, observatory, data or another customer could be put at risk.
RoboScopes owns, maintains and insures the rental equipment. You do not need to insure it for normal authorized use. Please report faults promptly and do not attempt a repair, physical adjustment or firmware change unless we have agreed it with you.
Normal wear, breakdown and routine maintenance are our responsibility. You may be responsible for the reasonable cost of damage directly caused by your deliberate misuse, reckless use or unauthorized changes, to the extent permitted by law and not covered by our insurance.
Your images and other observing data are yours to process, share and publish for personal, noncommercial use. You may form a small private syndicate with friends and share the rental system and its data with that agreed group.
Rental must not be used for commercial activity. You must not sell or resell data, charge others for access, sublet the system, use it as part of a business or otherwise make money from the rental service or its output.
You are responsible for downloading and backing up your data. We do not guarantee permanent storage or recovery of data left on the rental computer. Keep login details within your agreed private group, keep them secure and tell us promptly if anyone else may have obtained access.
This is an unattended, remote, high-altitude observatory. Weather, lightning, grid power, internet, communications, mechanical parts and automation can interrupt a session even when reasonable care has been used. Clear skies, observing time, uninterrupted operation and immediate overnight intervention are not guaranteed.
We will take reasonable care of the system and deal with faults as soon as reasonably practical. Planned maintenance, unsafe weather and repairs may require us to restrict access or take the system offline.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, RoboScopes is not responsible for lost observing time, lost data, lost profit or other indirect loss caused by weather, power, communications, mechanical or automation failures, or other events outside our reasonable control.
Nothing in this agreement excludes liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or excuses RoboScopes from its own gross negligence, fraud or willful misconduct. Except for those matters, our total liability arising from the rental is limited to the rental fees you paid during the 12 months before the event giving rise to the claim.
This agreement is governed by New Mexico law. Any dispute that cannot be resolved informally will be dealt with by a court with jurisdiction over Catron County, New Mexico. Any mandatory rights that cannot legally be waived still apply.
Contracts are provided in English. If you are unsure of any wording, please seek help from a qualified translator before agreeing.
This is the plain-English agreement for joining a RoboScopes imaging syndicate at the 3.14 Astronomy Complex. The customer named on the order is “you”. The RoboScopes company named on your order or invoice is “RoboScopes”, “we” or “us”.
The price, billing frequency, applicable taxes and any agreed one-time charges are those clearly presented to you before you sign up and recorded in your order confirmation or invoice. That record confirms the pricing agreed for your service. Later changes to website prices do not alter a period you have already paid for. Changes to future monthly charges are subject to the notice provisions below.
A syndicate is a small group of members sharing the data produced by one RoboScopes telescope system. Members work together to suggest and choose suitable targets. RoboScopes operates the equipment, manages the imaging queue and decides when and how jobs can be run safely and effectively.
Your selected syndicate plan or order confirms the telescope, membership price, data allocation and any personal or shared-project allowance included.
Syndicate membership runs month to month, starting on the date shown on your order. You may cancel by giving us at least 30 days’ written notice. Email to
We will give at least 30 days’ notice of a change to the monthly membership price. We may end monthly membership on 30 days’ notice, or sooner if you seriously misuse the service, repeatedly disrupt the syndicate or fail to pay.
You may choose to pay for a year in advance where offered, receiving 12 months for the price of 11. The prepaid price is fixed for those 12 months.
A prepaid year covers the full 12-month period and is normally nonrefundable if you leave early, except where the law requires otherwise. If we end the service without a breach by you and cannot provide what you paid for, we will refund unused full months.
RoboScopes owns, operates, maintains and insures the telescope system. You do not rent the equipment itself and you do not receive control of the observatory computer, mount, cameras, automation or safety settings.
Normal wear, breakdown, maintenance and equipment insurance are our responsibility. Members must not attempt to access, control, alter or interfere with the equipment or its computer systems.
A syndicate is a team. Members should discuss targets, vote or agree choices in the way set out for their syndicate, and make reasonable use of the available imaging time. One member cannot take over the queue or demand that their project is given priority.
RoboScopes may change the order, timing, exposure plan or target where needed for weather, moonlight, visibility, safety, technical suitability or efficient use of the system. A requested target is not guaranteed until the data has been successfully collected.
Each member receives access to the data collected for their syndicate in accordance with the selected plan. That data may be shared freely between current members for processing and collaborative projects. Members may publish their own finished processed images.
The syndicate's source data, including raw, calibrated, stacked or otherwise shared data files, must stay within the syndicate. It must not be sold, resold, given away, uploaded to free-data or public-download websites, or shared with any person who is not a current member. Download your data promptly and keep your own backups. We do not guarantee permanent storage or recovery after the stated download period.
This is an unattended, remote, high-altitude observatory. Weather, smoke, lightning, moonlight, grid power, internet, communications, mechanical parts and automation can reduce or interrupt data collection even when reasonable care has been used.
Clear skies, a particular quantity of data, completion of every target and immediate overnight intervention are not guaranteed. We will use reasonable care to operate and maintain the system and will deal with faults as soon as reasonably practical.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, RoboScopes is not responsible for lost observing opportunities, delayed or incomplete data, lost data, lost profit or other indirect loss caused by weather, power, communications, mechanical or automation failures, or other events outside our reasonable control.
Nothing in this agreement excludes liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or excuses RoboScopes from its own gross negligence, fraud or willful misconduct. Except for those matters, our total liability arising from your syndicate membership is limited to the membership fees you paid during the 12 months before the event giving rise to the claim.
This agreement is governed by New Mexico law. Any dispute that cannot be resolved informally will be dealt with by a court with jurisdiction over Catron County, New Mexico. Any mandatory rights that cannot legally be waived still apply.
Contracts are provided in English. If you are unsure of any wording, please seek help from a qualified translator before agreeing.
One of the things that makes this part of New Mexico so special is precisely what isn’t here.
The landscape remains wonderfully open and undeveloped. Wildlife is part of everyday life, the horizons remain largely untouched and, when the Sun goes down, genuine darkness still takes over.
We believe that deserves protecting.
Our aim is to develop 3.14 Astronomy Complex with as light a footprint as practical, working with the landscape rather than trying to dominate it.
We want people to come here for the landscape as it is, not for what we’ve built on it.
Being part of Pie Town and Catron County is important to us too.
Wherever practical, we want the investment generated by 3.14 to benefit the surrounding community.
That means working with local people, contractors and businesses, creating opportunities locally and encouraging visiting astronomers to discover and support the wider area.
We want to do more than operate in New Mexico. We want to be good neighbors and support the local community.
We want our guests to enjoy more of what makes this area special. If your local business offers nature tours, horseback riding, food, arts or another activity guests might enjoy, we would love to hear from you.
Tell us what you offer and how guests can reach you. We hope to feature local providers on our guest activities page as the accommodation comes online. Please include your business name, location, contact details and a link to your website or social page if you have one.
As the complex opens, we expect to look for both a day technician and a night technician.
No astronomy experience is needed. A sound understanding of mechanics and electronics would be an advantage, but it is not essential. We will provide full hands-on training to suitable candidates who are ready to follow guidance, learn by doing and work carefully with equipment.
We also expect to need someone to clean and care for the observatories for around one day a week. As we build more observatories and bring the accommodation online, we hope this part-time position will grow into a full-time role.
The project has moved from plans on a page to work happening on the ground.
Quick answers to the questions people ask most often. Please also read the relevant agreement before booking—the short version below is helpful, but the agreement contains the full terms.
Hosting means your equipment. Rental means our equipment under your control. Syndicate means our equipment, operated by us, with the resulting data shared between members.
If you want full control of your own telescope, choose Hosting. If you want control without shipping equipment, choose Rental. If you mainly want data and a shared project, choose Syndicate.
No. Clicking Hosting, Rental or Syndicate only opens the information on this page. Registering your interest is also free and does not commit you to book.
Current starting monthly prices are shown in the Hosting, Rental, and Syndicate boxes above. Final prices depend on the position, telescope system, or syndicate selected. Taxes, fees, and any agreed one-time work are additional where shown.
Full Rental and Syndicate details are coming soon. The boxes show planned categories only until the equipment, prices, places and launch dates are confirmed.
Hosting, Rental and Syndicate membership run monthly with at least 30 days’ written notice to end the service. Each also offers 12 months for the price of 11 when paid annually. A prepaid year covers the full 12-month period; see the relevant agreement for its cancellation and refund terms.
No signature is required. Ordering, paying for, using or continuing to use a service—and asking us to install or host equipment—confirms acceptance of the relevant agreement and site rules.
RoboScopes handles astronomy Hosting, Rental and Syndicate services. 3.14 Astronomy Complex handles the site, maintenance, accommodation, guests and general facility operations. Your order or invoice identifies the company you are contracting with.
You own it, and you must insure it. RoboScopes does not insure customer-owned hosted equipment. Your policy should adequately cover the telescope, mount, cameras, accessories, computer, data-loss exposure, transit and removal or return risks.
RoboScopes owns, maintains and insures its Rental and Syndicate equipment. Customers may still be responsible for damage directly caused by deliberate misuse, reckless use or unauthorized changes, where the law permits.
Yes—plan for both. Hosted systems should use equipment-appropriate surge protection and a properly sized UPS or battery backup, with safe shutdown and restart arrangements. Remote equipment must be able to cope sensibly with interruptions.
No. Weather, lightning, unsafe conditions, grid power, internet, communications, mechanical components and automation can interrupt observing. Clear skies, uninterrupted operation and a particular quantity of data are not guaranteed.
Not necessarily. This is a remote, unattended, high-altitude observatory. Immediate overnight intervention is not guaranteed. Staff will respond as soon as reasonably practical, but weather, safety, access and working hours can delay attendance.
Yes, where practical—and we encourage it. You may visit, install your system and become familiar with the site. Alternatively, our technicians can quote to mount, cable, configure, balance and polar-align it for you.
Measure the complete swing diameter, not only the telescope aperture. Include the front, rear equipment, camera, flat panel and counterweight at their widest operating positions, then add a sensible safety margin. Use the Swing Diameter Calculator on this page before booking.
Visits will be possible by prior arrangement. Please do not arrive unannounced. Accommodation is being introduced in phases, so availability and opening dates must be confirmed before making travel plans.
You arrange suitable packing, shipping and transit insurance for customer-owned equipment. RoboScopes is not responsible for loss or damage caused by the carrier while equipment is in transit.
Yes. Hosting data belongs to the customer. You may process, publish, share or resell it, use the hosted position within your own business, sublet access as part of that business or form a private syndicate with friends. Your contract remains with RoboScopes, and you remain responsible for anyone you allow to use the service.
Rental data is yours for personal, noncommercial use. You may share the rental with a small private group of friends, but you must not sell data, charge for access, sublet the system or use the rental as part of a business.
No—the source data stays within the Syndicate. It must not be resold, given away, shared with nonmembers or uploaded to free-data websites. Members may publish their own finished processed images unless a specific project says otherwise.
A Syndicate may have up to 20 members. The actual number of available places can be lower for a particular system and will be shown when that Syndicate opens.
No. Do not alter mount limits, pier-flip settings, park or home positions, weather automation, power controls, drivers, networking, security, remote-support software or safe shutdown and restart settings. Ask us if a protected setting needs changing.
No—download and back it up. Customers and members are responsible for keeping their own copies. Permanent storage and recovery of data left on observatory computers are not guaranteed.
The service agreements are governed by New Mexico law. Mandatory legal rights that cannot lawfully be excluded still apply. The agreements do not exclude liability that cannot legally be excluded or excuse gross negligence or willful misconduct.
Contact Steve before booking. Use email, WhatsApp or Telegram below. Messages are welcome at any time; calls are limited to the stated UK working hours.
Register free, with no commitment, and join the queue for a space when bookings open.
Questions? Call or message Steve. Messages are welcome anytime; replies are sent during working hours.
Calls: 9 a.m.–5 p.m. UK time only.
UK time now: 22:06 BST
Proud to be part of
New Mexico
