U OPENS WILLARD L. ECCLES OBSERVATORY ON FRISCO PEAK
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Paul Ricketts |
In this first image obtained by the telescope, a galaxy labeled NGC89 is located in the constellation Andromeda at a distance of about 24 million light years. The image was taken while the telescope installers were camped out in the dome during the week of Oct. 12, 2009. The next night 36 additional deep-sky objects were imaged. |
The telescope works flawlessly! The observatory site is exceptional as well. Saturday night we came back to this galaxy and were able to see it in the eyepiece. It has an apparent brightness of magnitude 10.8. I doubt that we could even image this with a long exposure in Salt Lake City due to the light pollution on campus.
—Wayne Springer
The U’s new $860,000 Willard L. Eccles Observatory at Frisco Peak in Beaver County is up and running—and the results from space are spectacular! The site, located northwest of Milford at an elevation of 9,600 feet, was chosen for its superior viewing qualities. The 18-foot-tall observatory sits on an 8-foot platform and includes a 32-inch remote-controlled telescope. Construction on the project started mid-July and the first views of space were made Oct. 15.
Wayne Springer, an associate professor of physics who was in charge of constructing the observatory, answered a few questions for us.
FYI: What does the Eccles Observatory at Frisco Peak mean to the University?
Springer: The observatory project—in the works since 2001—provides the University with a facility that greatly enhances the educational opportunities of students interested in astronomy. In addition to research activities, the facility increases general interest in astronomy through public outreach.
FYI: What do you hope to see from Frisco Peak that you can’t see elsewhere?
Springer: The high elevation, dark sky, and typically dry climate of Frisco Peak may prove to be suitable for carrying out observations using equipment sensitive to infrared wavelengths. Even though the 32-inch telescope is of modest size, it will be able to perform follow-up studies to complement other research programs such as the Sloan Digital Sky Survey III, of which the University is now a member. Additionally, the telescope can be used remotely through a control room located right here on campus.
FYI: How many sites did you look at before choosing this one?
Springer: We considered many sites. We placed solar-powered atmospheric seeing monitor systems at eight locations on mountaintops in Southern Utah to obtain measurements for extended periods. These seeing monitors measure the degradation in “seeing” capability resulting from turbulence in the atmosphere, which distorts the path of light as it passes through the atmosphere. The seeing monitors measure how much Polaris (the North Star) “twinkles.”
FYI: How does the Eccles Observatory at Frisco Peak compare with the one on campus?
Springer: The campus observatory is located on the roof of the South Physics Building located east of Kingsbury Hall where the sky is very bright. Atmospheric turbulence and building vibrations also degrade the images from the campus observatory. But the sky at Frisco Peak is so dark that thousands of stars are visible with the naked eye.
FYI: Are visitors allowed at the Frisco Peak site?
Springer: The Eccles Observatory at Frisco Peak is on public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Therefore, visitors are allowed at the site. However, extensive surveillance equipment has been installed and buildings at the site are accessible only to those who are accompanied by University staff. Most operations at the facility will be conducted remotely from a control room located on campus.
Learn more about the Willard L. Eccles Observatory online. Free star parties atop the physics building on campus are offered each Wednesday night.
The public is invited to attend a “first light” gathering in celebration of the opening of the Eccles Observatory: 4:00 p.m. Symposium, featuring Dave Kieda (department chair); Wayne Springer (physics and astronomy faculty), Kyle Dawson (physics and astronomy faculty), and Pierre Sokolsky (dean of the College of Science) 5:00 p.m. Reception |
