0.7m Telescope Comes to Grainger Observatory

Astronomy students visit the school’s observatory on Friday nights to collect astronomical data and gaze upon whatever celestial bodies they can find in the sky. Using the observatory’s advanced technological equipment, they will be able to further their understanding of astrophysics. 

Several months ago, the Academy released word of installing a new $210,000 CDK700 telescope, 0.7 meters in diameter, to the Grainger Observatory. As the telescope’s construction reaches finalization, students and faculty in the Science Department are looking forward to utilizing available features of the new telescope. 

Funds for the school’s telescope parts and installation were provided by an anonymous donor who requested their donations be used for a new telescope. “The telescope has been tailored to the needs of the school to what we're missing,” upper and Astronomy Club Co-Head William Peeler explained. 

Over the span of the past few months, trucks brought the telescope’s components to be assembled on site. Construction of the telescope and its main structure are currently fully completed. After the bulk of the workload was finished, contributing members including the contractor, architect, crane operator and a crew of students and videographers were all present as a crane carefully lowered the telescope onto the dome’s pier. 

The telescope’s construction took place predominantly throughout the winter, and minor impediments and delays occurred due to the cold weather and snowfall. The only remaining tasks to accomplish are to remove the fencing and portable work-trailer in the upcoming warmer months and backfill soil with grass seed to regenerate the surrounding grassy areas. 

This large-scale installation operation became a major stepping stone for the school’s astronomy program. “The architects, designers, and contractors have worked well on the project. The telescope's installation was definitely one of the highlights of the project,” Observatory Director John Blackwell said.

Astronomy Club and students taking the school’s astronomy course are especially excited about the finalization of the telescope’s installation process. This new state-of-the-art telescope features a wide range of available technological functions: a wide-reaching viewing range, exceptional light collection power and relatively large primary mirror. The new telescope will make it possible to observe far-away quasars, galaxies and other distant figures with much greater clarity. 

Furthermore, the telescope can function automatically, allowing it to gather data without the direct supervision of students or faculty. Peeler, who has been taking astronomy courses throughout his upper year, noted that the telescope’s self-controlled data collection system would promote scientific investigation. “If you're taking an astronomy course and you want to track something, you can set it up to automatically track it for you and you can go back to your dorm and go to bed,” he said. 

Blackwell highlighted other features that met the schools’ needs. The telescope has a large aperture and two optical points of focus that can be used interchangeably throughout observing sessions. “We looked at a bunch of different makes and models but have heard nothing but excellent commentary about the makers of our new scope,” Blackwell said.

The telescope will become a wonderful addition to students’ education in astronomy classes, mainly regarding precise data collection and skyward observations. “It's amazing what we'll be able to do with this. We'll be able to see more wavelengths and essentially just opens opportunities and research that weren't possible before,” Peeler said.

Senior Rosemary Beck, another co-head of the Astronomy Club, is also quite excited about the telescope’s various applications and how it can open opportunities for research and interactive learning in the astronomical field. “In addition to being a great tool for students with prior telescope experience and a passion for astronomy, I'm hoping that its installation will inspire students who haven't ever visited the observatory to come out and see what it's all about,” she said.