Mingo Park Observatory Project News:
| Winter Observatory Committee Update: | |||
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Observatory Progress: |
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With the winter weather finally starting to break, the MCPO Committee is moving forward with the observatory construction plans. The building blueprints have been finalized, and a bid specification document written and revised. We have received final approval from Nottingham Township, Washington County to begin construction. After final approval from the AAAP Executive Committee, we will be letting the project out to bid and selecting a builder. We are looking to begin construction of the building structure sometime in the mid to late April timeframe, with the building completed sometime in mid to late June. To help keep costs down, we will do all the painting, and the electrical work (under supervision of a qualified Electrician). Observatory dedication is tentatively planned for late July. If you would like to volunteer to help work on the observatory, please contact MCPO Committee Chair Ed Moss.
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Telescope Progress: |
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The MCPO Committee has purchased the first major telescope for use at
the new observatory! Having been authorized by the AAAP Executive
Committee, this past weekend MCPO committee members Ed Moss and Mike
Meteney paid for and picked up the 10" D&G refractor that AAAP
member Nick Martch had offered to sell to the AAAP.
The telescope is currently being stored by Mike until the observatory
building construction is completed later this spring. As is, the
telescope and mount can be used manually, and once a drive system
donated by committee member Dan McKeel has been modified and installed
on the mount, it will be able to track celestial objects. Several
options are still being explored for our second major telescope at the
observatory. The committee is working on plans to adapt the 16" Cassigrain 'Autoscope' that was purchased last year from the CSC. The mounting and the holder for the secondary optics is being redesigned. The goal is to have the telescope in working condition sometime late this summer or early fall. Additionally, the committee has applied for a state grant specifically to purchase a Parallax Instruments 24" Ritchey-Chretien goto telescope. If we are successful in receiving this grant (a real possibility), this telescope will replace the Autoscope as the observatory's primary instrument. The RC will be our 'showcase' visual telescope for public starparties, and used as a first class regional educational tool. It will also give us research grade instrument capabilities for serious amateur research projects, for which the committee is presently putting together a list of potential candidate projects. The 16" Autoscope will still be utilized by mounting it on wheels, allowing us to roll it out onto the observatory grounds for public starparties. |
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Observatory Road Progress: |
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| While the main road construction was completed at the end of the fall construction season, the road still needs finishing work. This work, and the creation of the required parking area will be completed after the principle building construction is done. Additionally, the park access road will be rebuilt by the Washington County Parks after the AAAP has finished it's heavy construction. | |||
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Starparty News: |
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The MCPO Committee is planning another great year of public starparties. The 2004 dates are set (see AAAP Website), and the Mingo 'Pinksheet' starparty pamphlets have been revised. Additionally, Washington County Parks has listed the AAAP starparties in their 2004 activities booklet. Do to observatory and road construction, the observatory grounds and pavilion will be unavailable for the first several months of the starparty season. Therefore, the committee has moved the location of the April Starparties to the adjacent ball-field and pavilions located further up the main access road, around the horseshoe bend. (directional signs will be posted at the observatory road gate). At this date, the location of the May starparties is undecided. (the ball-field is unavailable in May). We'll get back to you at a later date with the new location of the May starparties. As last year, in addition to our telescopes, we will be setting up astronomy display boards and computer slide shows in the pavilions. New for this year will be short beginner presentations by AAAP staff members. We have purchased a green laser pointer for use by presenters at Mingo starparties, and are looking into getting additional AV equipment for use inside the pavilions (they have electricity). If anyone is interested in participating on the Mingo Creek Park Observatory Committee, or helping out at the Mingo Starparties, please contact one of the Committee members listed below:
All information on this news update page provided by Larry McHenry |
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