Conn gifted $100,000 for new telescope and observatory upgrades

The distant celestial wonders in the sky above New London will soon be more visible than ever. An anonymous Connecticut College alum has donated $100,000 to the Department of Physics, Astronomy and Geophysics for the purchase of a new telescope and upgrades to the observatory atop the F.W. Olin Science Center.

The 14-inch telescope, a CDK350 Observatory System built by PlaneWave Instruments out of Michigan, is more efficient and easier to use than the current 20-inch scope that was installed in 1996, said Assistant Teaching Professor of Astronomy Alex Gianninas, who came to Conn in 2023 and is also the campus director for the Connecticut Space Grant Consortium, which Conn recently joined.

Associate Professor Emeritus of Physics Leslie Brown, who taught at Conn from 1992 to 2022, said, “This most generous gift of a new telescope and dome upgrades ensures that opportunities for astronomy students to engage in hands-on learning and research, and for the campus and the local community to share in the joys of the night sky that were enjoyed in the past, will be available long into what looks to be a very bright future for astronomy at Conn. I cannot thank the donor enough for ensuring this vibrant and promising future!”

Gianninas said his students in the course “Observational Techniques” will be able to train on the new telescope, an activity that mechanical and electronic issues prevented on the current one for the past five years. “We’ve been able to work around that by using publicly available data,” Gianninas said, “but the whole point is to give students hands-on experience, and we'll be able to start doing that again.”

He added that students in introductory astronomy courses will likely also be able to use the new telescope, because it’s easier to operate. As Brown mentioned, the public will have opportunities to experience it, too. Department staff are hopeful the telescope will be set up in time for a planned April open house event, at which guided observations, astronomy-themed activities, talks and videos will be offered to the public.

Gianninas said about 80% of the $100,000 donation will go toward the telescope and its accessories, installation and maintenance, while the remaining 20% is slated for the dome’s repair and automation.

Those refurbishments are planned as early as this month. Staff from Astrometric Instruments out of Vermont are scheduled to visit campus the Monday before Thanksgiving to replace the controllers that operate the observatory dome, which will allow for automation and remote control.