SkyShed POD-S Delivered today

Today, March 23, 2026, marks the official beginning of the construction of NightSky Observatory at the Mangieri residence. OK, earlier this month I received the first actual part, the Surface Adapter and Flat Peir Plate for my mount from Astro-Physics. But the actual observatory building itself arrived today by Saia freight company.

Ordered back in December 2025 from SkyShed, the trip from Canada took a few days and the freight truck arrived this afternoon. Total weight was 1605 lbs. I had a couple of friends of mine on site to help with the offloading from the truck. The dome (in two sections) was the heaviest of the parts coming in at about 175lb a piece. The five pod bays were much more manageable. 

Now I was warned by the folks at SkyShed that the truck driver is only responsible for transporting the freight to my residence, hence the need for some friends to assist in the work. But my driver was an exceptionably friendly, outgoing guy who helped quite a bit in dismantling the wooden crates and getting the parts down to the side lawn of my property. Kudos to Saia!

The SkyShed Pier is still on its way and should arrive soon by UPS. With the weather improving and the ground warming up, it’ll be the perfect time to pour the concrete for the pier. After that, the 12'x12' deck will need to be built. Since the county permit is still pending, there’s no real rush.

Then I can build the observatory building. I already have an electrical contractor retained for the running of the AC and Ethernet lines to the new building. 

Hope to be up and running by early summer. We'll see 😎.