Those who visit the Jefferson College observatory in Hillsboro soon will have plenty of solid ground to stand on.
The Board of Trustees voted unanimously July 22 to award a $29,341 contract to Aspire Construction of St. Charles to install a concrete patio, walkways and wall and electrical conduit.
Aspire submitted the lowest of three bids for the project.
Holcim Cement in Ste. Genevieve is donating the concrete for the project.
The observatory sits near the college’s softball field on Farm Road, north of the Hillsboro campus.
Aspire was still pouring the concrete on Sept. 3, at Leader deadline, but it is expected to be finished in time for the observatory’s dedication ceremony, scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 12, said college spokesman Roger Barrentine.
Jefferson College and the St. Louis Astronomical Society (SLAS) are partners in the observatory effort.
After the dedication ceremony and other activities to mark completion of the initial construction phases are held, an Aim for the Stars monthly stargazing session will follow.
Starting at 6 p.m. there will be site and dome tours, telescope training, astronomy exhibits and information. The dedication ceremony and a ribbon-cutting will be held at 7 p.m., followed by the stargazing event at 7:30 p.m.
Daryl Gehbauer, the college’s vice president of finances and administration, said the concrete patio and related work will pave the way for SLAS to bring a powerful telescope to the site.
“SLAS is going to be overseeing the installation of the dome that will house the telescope,” Gehbauer said. “There ultimately will be a big telescope in the dome.
“What we are getting is a larger concrete patio for people to bring their own telescopes to use. They’ll have electrical hook-ups for their telescopes.”
The Aim For the Stars events are open to all ages. They offer site tours, as well as training on how to read a star map and how to use a telescope or binoculars. Jefferson College faculty and SLAS members lead the sessions.
This year’s Aim for the Stars in-person gatherings are scheduled to continue through Oct. 3.
Virtual sessions are scheduled for 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. on both Nov. 7 and Dec. 5 because of weather considerations. The virtual sessions are livestreamed on the Jefferson College Observatory Facebook page
Attendees at the in-person sessions may bring their own astronomy equipment or use a limited number of telescopes provided.
For more information, contact Maryanne Angliongto, associate dean of math, physics and technology, at 636-481-3318 or manglion@jeffco.edu.