My first Magazine Sky & Telescope - 03.2019

Muddy Run Observatory facility. The company invested more than $300,000 to build the observatory, and Exelon will continue to provide annual ﬁ nancial support for the foreseeable future. Construction began in April 2016. The amphitheater, large screen, and landscaping were completed by August. The project was then delayed for many months because the origi- nal dome manufacturer failed to deliver on its promises. The RAS turned to Ash-Dome in Illinois, which installed two domes in July 2017, just in time for a solar eclipse party on August 21st. The Muddy Run Observatory ofﬁ cially opened about two months later. For equipment, Ryan decided to install two 14-inch scopes: a Celestron EdgeHD SCT and a PlaneWave instrument featuring a modiﬁ ed Dall-Kirkham design. Ryan chose the 14-inch EdgeHD scope because it’s a popular model for public observatories. The team uses a MallinCam Xterminator video camera to take images, which can be projected onto the large outdoor screen for public viewing. And with the EdgeHD’s ﬂ at ﬁ eld, there are no distorted stars from center to edge. The astronomers can also transmit images from a piggybacked 60-mm Lunt solar scope. They can employ ZWO color and monochrome video cameras with either scope or with an 80-mm refractor piggybacked onto a 9.25-inch Celestron EdgeHD scope. For the other dome, Ryan wanted a telescope more suited for research. “The Dall-Kirkham design, engineering, and SHOW TIME While observing under dark skies is the big draw for Muddy Run, even cloudy nights offer quality programming. Members of the Rittenhouse Astronomical Club, the Harford County Astronomical Society in Maryland, and the Astronomy Enthusiasts of Lancaster County provide equipment and support for the observatory, as do volunteers from nearby colleges and universities. 66 M A RCH 2 019 • SK Y & TELESCOPE The observatory is a godsend for the RAS, which is based in the severely light-polluted environment of one of America’s largest cities. reputation seemed to ﬁ t the bill for the skies we have at this location,” he explains. The PlaneWave scope has built-in heaters and coolers for the primary and secondary mirrors, preventing dew forma- tion. The scope also comes equipped with an electronic focuser that is regulated by changes in ambient temperature. The team has attached other equipment to the scope: an SBIG AO-X adaptive optics unit, an SBIG self-guided ﬁ lter wheel with LRGB and narrowband ﬁ lters, and an SBIG SXTL 16200 monochrome camera. The RAS has assumed the primary role of running the observatory, but it receives considerable assistance from the Astronomy Enthusiasts of Lancaster County (AELC) and the Harford County Astronomical Society in Maryland, whose members helped install the equipment. Whereas most RAS members have to drive 90 minutes or longer to reach Muddy Run, these other clubs are considerably closer. All three clubs now beneﬁ t from having a private, dark observing site with two excellent telescopes.

My first Magazine Sky & Telescope - 03.2019 | Page 68