Observatory to unveil new 17-inch telescope

By Deborah Rose

There is renewed excitement at the McCarthy Observatory in New Milford.

The observatory’s original 16” Mead telescope installed in the summer of 2000 was recently replaced with a state-of-the-art 17” PlaneWave Instrumentals telescope.

The new $60,000 telescope will be unveiled Saturday, May 11, at the observatory’s monthly Second Saturday Stars program.

The Mead telescope cost $15,000, funded by the Ellen Knowles Harcourt Foundation.

The Second Saturday Stars program is open to the public. This month, the theme is “Women in Astronomy.”

“We have enormous resources here to show people what they can see” in space, said observatory volunteer Bob Lambert, who co-founded the non-profit observatory with Monty Robson.

Lambert describes the new telescope as “accurate and so rich in function, as well as “more precise [than the original one] and better for science.”

The telescope features sophisticated and technologically advanced features, according to volunteers, who said the company that made it conducted extensive research and designed it to have everything telescope users didn’t like about what they have used for years. 

Several additional telescopes are mounted on the new one. They include a refracting telescope, a refractor, and a solar telescope. In additional solar filter sets are on site for viewing of solar events.

WHY A NEW TELESCOPE?

Due to the original telescope’s increasing age, it had limitations, was experiencing technical issues, parts had become obsolete and/or difficult to find, and it had according to volunteers.

Longtime volunteer Bill Cloutier said a new telescope was discussed whenever they talked about what the observatory could buy if it had the money, but it wasn’t until early December it became a real possibility.

An anonymous donor stepped up offering to match $25,000 of funds raised for the project.

Volunteers launched a “The Next 25 Campaign” and received immediate support.

In a matter of four and a half months, the observatory had raised more than $90,000. An additional $10-15,000 more is sought to purchase additional accessories.

The observatory is located at 388 Danbury Road (Route 7), the site of New Milford High School.

“We keep getting more students who want to learn how to [explore the universe] and they’re not afraid to learn,” Lambert related.

“There are a lot of good kids capable of working with sophisticated equipment,” he added.

HISTORY

Since its opening, the educational and research observatory has put itself on the map. 

The observatory is part of a group of facilities that that monitor and confirm objects in space. Through its work with that group, McCarthy volunteers have discovered four asteroids.

The observatory is a member of the International Warning Network, which reports to the United Nations, Cloutier noted. In addition, it is a member of NASA’s Night Sky Network, and is a 20-year been a member of the International Astronomical Union (code 932)

Lambert said although significant contributions to science have been made at the observatory, he and his fellow astronomers see the status of the observatory being an “amateur observatory” as a “treasure.”

The observatory is a member of the NASA Museums Alliance and, as part of the New Milford Public School System, the observatory is eligible to apply for receipt of space artifacts when space programs are terminated.Careful thought and consideration were given when designing the observatory.

Visits to 10 different universities with observatories were made by Robson and others. Each was asked what they would do different if they were to build their observatory again.

“We took all those answers and designed ours,” Robson said.

The New Milford site has been used as a model for new observatories.

The volunteers said providing a space that everyone could use was of the utmost importance for them.

“From the very beginning, we focused on accessibility… [ because we wanted to] make sure anyone can get to the sky deck,” where the main telescope is located.

The entire facility is ADA compliant. It features a lift for wheelchair use, voice activated telescope control software, and a flexible eyepiece extender.

Volunteers emphasized how the observatory’s accessibility has permitted the volunteer base and attendees from all backgrounds and experience levels to explore space from New Milford.

The main observation deck is situated under a 16-foot dome. The new telescope is mounted on an equatorial pier and computer-driven mount system.

A 1,000-square-foot outdoor viewing deck is also on site.

Collectively, volunteers Lambert, Robson and Cloutier have 140 years of astronomy experience, and Cloutier is a NASA Solar System Ambassador.

The obervatory is located at 388 Danbury Road (Route 7), New Milford, on the campus of New Milford High School. For more information, visit https://www.mccarthyobservatory.org.

Deborah Rose/Volunteer Bob Lambert explains the features of the new 17" telescope.

Deborah Rose/The PlaneWave Instrumentals telescope cost $60,000.

Deborah Rose/Volunteer Monty Robson watches as the observatory's dome opens to demonstrate the new telescope's capabilities.

Deborah Rose/The New Milford observatory is located on the campus of New Milford High School.