Wayne State Looks to the Stars with Newest Acquisition
Remote observatory located in one of darkest places in U.S.
Wayne State University is adding a state-of-the-art robotically controlled observatory to its assets. But, the Dan Zowada Memorial Observatory is located on 40-acres in the mountains of New Mexico. Former Michigan residents Russ and Stephanie Carroll are giving the university the land with a large telescope with dome cover. The gift also includes 10-years of funding for operation and maintenance. Chair of the Physics and Astronomy Department at Wayne State, David Cinabro, says the remotely operated facility is in a location with a very dark night sky.
“Basically it’s hundreds of miles, right between Tucson and El Paso and there’s really no large city anywhere close” -David Cinabro, WSU Chair Physics and Astronomy
Cinabro says the camera attached to the telescope is being upgraded this summer to improve picture quality. He says the 20-inch telescope is large enough to use for scientific purposes.
Click on the audio link above to hear the entire conversation between David Cinabro and WDET’s Amy Miller
