Callisto                Europa                Gannymede         Io                       Jupiter

It's a BIRD!

It's a PLANE!

No....

It's...OUR NEW OBSERVATORY!

After nearly five years, an observatory for Old Dominion University is now a reality!  It is equipped with a Schmidt-Cassagrain Telescope with an attached ten-inch CCD (charge-coupled device) to help track constellations and other celestial objects. Connected through Ethernet, a computer and digital camera will allow for remote control of the observatory from the Astronomy lab.  The outer covering and base of the observatory are made of fiberglass and can withstand winds up to 100 mph.

Doctoral student Hugh (Trey) Thurman was hired to construct the observatory with supervision from Bruce Hanna, Director of the Pretlow Planetarium.  Although it is still in the "debugging" stages, the "first light" image was of the moons of Jupiter.

Recently, the Astronomy Lab was updated with the addition of computers and a big screen monitor to enhance instruction. This allows a more hands-on approach to the study of celestial objects.  When the Observatory is fully operational, it will be available for undergraduate research, instructional labs and special observational events, such as a comet crossing the Earth's orbit.

Along with the Pretlow Planetarium where Professor Hanna conducts approximately 50 public shows a year and teaches between 500-600 students annually, the observatory adds to the attraction for students and public alike in developing an interest in the sciences, especially in the field of Physics.