About 150 people attended a Sept. 12 ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony for the Jefferson College Observatory under development near the college’s softball field on Farm Road, north of the Hillsboro campus.
The college and the St. Louis Astronomical Society (SLAS) are working together to develop the observatory.
Those who attended the dedication gave the observatory rave reviews.
“It’s unbelievable!” said Jim Small, SLAS president. “This is a special facility.”
Work to prepare the site for the observatory began in 2019, but the
COVID-19 pandemic slowed its progress until this year.
However, the observatory now features a 16-inch telescope inside a dome (both provided by SLAS) on the college’s property. A concrete patio and walkways recently were completed and electric conduit was installed at the site.
Jefferson College President Dena McCaffrey says the observatory is an asset for the college’s students and staff, and the county as a whole.
“It’s outstanding,” she said. “It’s exciting to have this resource not only for the campus, but for the community.”
Maryanne Angliongto, Jefferson College dean of math, physics and technology, said the observatory is being developed in phases, and the work on the site so far is a good start.
“It’s amazing to see it come to reality,” she said.
Angliongto said she believes the observatory will benefit a wide range of people.
“You’ve got everything from people looking for things to do on the weekend to stargazers,” she said. “We’ll use it a lot in the college astronomy classes. Then, we’re trying to reach out to K-12 schools to help with their science classes.”
Mike Nelson of House Springs, who was among those at the dedication, said he believes the observatory will be put to good use for years to come.
“It might spark future interest in science and astronomy, physics,” he said.
After the dedication, an Aim for the Stars stargazing session was held at the observatory.
Ty Frauenfelder, a senior at Hillsboro High School and member of SLAS, said he has attended some of the Aim for the Stars events.
“I’m learning a lot I didn’t know before,” he said.
Brandi Pinson, a De Soto resident, said the observatory has piqued her interest.
“I’m going to come to the Aim for the Stars events regularly,” she said.
Don Ficken of SLAS said he is impressed with the observatory.
“It’s a Meade LX200, a 16-inch telescope,” he said. “It’s a research-grade telescope. It’s as big (of a telescope) as anything in the region.”
He said the telescope will offer great stargazing opportunities.
“You’ll be able to see Jupiter’s moons, see far away galaxies.”
Aim for the Stars events are normally held in the evening on the first Sunday of each month at the observatory. During the winter, the events are held virtually and are livestreamed on the Jefferson College Observatory Facebook page.
The events are free and open to all ages.
Attendees at the in-person sessions may bring their own astronomy equipment or use a limited number of telescopes provided.
For more information, contact Angliongto at 636-481-3318 or manglion@jeffco.edu.
Win a private star party
The Leader, in conjunction with SLAS and Jefferson College, will be giving away a private star party during the Oct. 6 Arnold Senior Expo. You must be present to win.
The Senior Expo will be held from 8 a.m. to noon at the Arnold Recreation Center, 1695 Missouri State Road, in Arnold. Read more details about the prize package in next week’s Grand Times magazine.