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ONEONTA, N.Y. --
The SUNY College at Oneonta will unveil the largest optical telescope in New
York State at a "first light" ceremony at 8:30 p.m. on Friday, May 29, at
the College
Observatory at the College Camp. Admission to the event is
complimentary, and members of the community are invited to attend.
The ceremony at the observatory will begin at 8:30 p.m. with short
remarks by SUNY Oneonta President Nancy Kleniewski, Provost F. Daniel
Larkin, Physics and Astronomy Department Chair
Sunil
Labroo, and Observatory Director and Dean of Science and Social Science
Michael Merilan. The telescope will be unveiled at 8:50 p.m., and it
will be available for observations of the night sky from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.
In the event of inclement weather, the College has scheduled back-up
dates of Saturday, May 30, or Sunday, May 31, for the ceremony, with the
events scheduled at the same times.
The 40" telescope collects over 1.5 times more light than New York's
previous collegiate record holders, a 32.25" telescope at Alfred University
and a 32" at Vassar. The new instrument has the light-gathering power of
more than 20,000 human eyes and reveals celestial targets over six times
fainter than previously detectable with the College's current 16" telescope.
Constructed by JMI Telescopes of Lakewood, Colorado, the telescope is
computer controlled.
The 40" telescope will support the College's instructional, research, and
service programs in astronomy and astrophysics. Dr. Merilan adds that "The
College's students, faculty, staff, and the community will be able to study
the sky with unprecedented clarity and precision as well as observe objects
previously unreachable with our equipment."
Before the first light ceremony, the College will also offer a
complimentary demonstration of its digital planetarium in room 19B of
Science Building 1 on campus. At 5:30 p.m., 6 p.m., and 6:30 p.m., up to 28
visitors in each session will experience dramatic digital animations of the
sky and virtual voyages through the solar system, galaxy, and universe.
Audience members will be seated in the planetarium on a first-come,
first-served basis.
More information about the events, the telescope, and the planetarium is
available from Dr. Merilan at (607) 436-2125.
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