The Lake Afton Public Observatory was filled over the weekend with visitors hoping to catch the last program before the building — with its 16-inch reflecting telescope — closed down for good.

But the observatory might stay open after all, just under different hands.

The Kansas Astronomical Observers is working to take over operations in a partnership with Sedgwick County, which would lease the land and building.

The group, made up of telescope and astronomy enthusiasts, took action over the summer when Wichita State announced it would close the observatory due to smaller crowds and dwindling resources.

About 30 volunteers took interest in saving the observatory, but they are now waiting on word from the university if operations will be entirely shifted.

“We want to keep LAPO operating as a public attraction for those interested in astronomy and space science,” said Harold Henderson, a spokesman for the Kansas Astronomical Observers.

KAO’s mission is to “actively pursue the aesthetic and intellectual enjoyment of astronomy,” according to its website.

“I’d like to see a 20 percent increase in attendance from year to year,” Henderson said. “We want to add interactive, engaging exhibits and displays, some focused on the technology used in space exploration, others showcasing the latest information from current and future astronomy programs.”

With WSU as its operator, LAPO provided more than 250,000 people the opportunity to see the moon, Saturn and other celestial objects, the news release said.

WSU’s Fairmount Center for Science and Mathematics Education has operated the observatory for the last 34 years, but because patron attendance declined, funding dwindled.

“After 34 years of working with community partners, especially Sedgwick County, to provide astronomy education to our community, the decision to withdraw WSU support from the Lake Afton Public Observatory was extremely difficult,” said Ron Matson, dean of Fairmount College, said in the release.

A growing digital age may also be a consequence, said Greg Novacek, director of LAPO.

“For many people, easy access, via the Web, of pictures taken by the Hubble Space Telescope as well as other telescopes and space probes have satisfied their curiosity about space,” Novacek in the release.

For now, Henderson said KAO has a few activities scheduled in case it takes over operations, such as a lunar eclipse viewing Sept. 27 at Wichita Northeast Magnet and “Spooky Science” Oct. 23 and 24 hosted by Exploration Place.

KAO schedules a speaker or presentation at each meeting on the third Friday of every month. The meetings are open to the public.