Tuesday, August 29, 2006

News Release

Heritage Park Observatory Receives New Telescope

Cedar Park, TX (Special)—The Heritage Park Observatory announced Monday the acquisition of their newest telescope, an achromatic 80-millimeter refractor. Commonly referred to as a "short tube 80" or ST80, this telescope increases the observatory's capabilities, according to Chief Astronomer Jeffrey Phillips.

"I'm excited about the new possibilities the ST80 brings to our facility," said Phillips. "We'll be able to observe sixteen times as much of the sky with this low-power, wide-field instrument. It's a great complement to the observatory's existing ten-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope. Plus, the blue color is nearly an identical match to the LX200."

The ST80 has a focal ratio of f/5, with a focal length of 400 millimeters. It is attached to the LX200 with a "piggyback" rail and adjustable rings. The telescope was purchased from JAT Observatory in Fairless Hills, PA.

Along with the telescope, the observatory received its first significant rainfall in nearly seven weeks.

1 comment:

The Infidel Army said...

So where's the pic of the ST80 piggybacked on the LX200?

I'm hoping we get more rain!!!