Winer Observatory2/3-m Telescope
In 1995, Hughes Danbury Optical Systems (now Goodrich Optical and Space Systems Division,
Electro-Optical Systems) donated to Winer a 2/3-m (26.5-inch) Corning Ultra Low Expansion ULE™
lightweighted mirror. Using this donation as a basis, we entered into a project with a private,
non-sectarian school to design and build a telescope for the school and one for us. After Winer
contributed hundreds of hours designing the telescopes and obtaining donations of parts for the
project, the project was restructured in calendar year 2000. As a result, the school purchased
its telescope from a commercial telescope vendor located in Tucson, Arizona. Winer did not receive
a telescope after the project restructuring. We are now looking for donations of about $500,000
to build the telescope and to purchase a camera for it.
The Hughes ULE™ mirror is a sphere, the wrong shape to produce a wide field full of crisp star pinpoints. The primary mirror needs to be refigured to a different shape and to be polished smooth. Furthermore, we need a secondary mirror with the correct magnification. We also need a mount and control system designed to hold the weight of the optics and point them in the right direction.
Once this telescope comes online, we plan to use it for our outreach programs, for online research by students, and for programs designated by our donors, as well as the research interests of our staff.
Page last updated on: December 18, 2013
