New observatory domes will allow for global astronomy research collaboration and more public outreach
Old roof was successfully pulled off by crane this morning at York University’s Keele Campus
TORONTO, June 14, 2022 – Two new observatory domes were lifted into place today at York University’s Allan I. Carswell Astronomical Observatory, replacing the original 1960s ones.
“It’s really exciting. These new domes will give us so much more functionality and ease of use, but even more importantly, we will have a larger opening that will allow observers to see more of the sky through the telescopes,” says Assistant Professor Elaina Hyde, director of York’s observatory in the Faculty of Science. “This will allow us to increase our research and public outreach”
It took a week of on-the-ground preparation to assemble the new 6.24-metre diameter domes on-site before they were ready to be craned into place beginning at 7 a.m. this morning, following the removal of the old ones.
One dome covers the one-metre telescope, the largest on a university campus, while the other covers the 60-cm telescope.
“This is going to be a massive improvement in many ways as they are a different design of dome, which will allow us to view the whole of the sky,” says Hyde.
With the old domes, the bottom shutter was always blocking a portion of the sky, but with the new ones the bottom shutter is hydraulically operated and flips out, making the opening larger for viewing with a 1.8-metre aperture width. Viewing objects such as supernovas, asteroid transits, exoplanets and more will now be possible.
They are also technologically superior to the original domes. They are automated so the top and bottom shutters are controlled through a computer and can even be operated remotely. They can be programmed to automatically rotate as the telescope moves to track any celestial object, which means multiple objects can be imaged in one night.
“It means we can collaborate with other astronomers and teachers anywhere in the world for research and outreach,” says Hyde. “In addition, as the interfaces for class observing will also be better, more classes and labs can be scheduled every night.”
Unlike the previous domes, these new ones will have little outside maintenance requirements and will never need painting. They are aluminum-zinc alloy-coated using a hot-dip process.
“The whole process today went really smoothly and was amazing to watch. My colleagues and students are all super exited to start using them,” says Hyde.
Online public viewing and chat sessions will continue every Monday night between 9 and 10 p.m. via Zoom, along with the York Universe radio show on astronomy.fm at the same time. Live-streamed public viewing and Q&A sessions will happen every other Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. on YouTube.
Video of domes going on and off:
Photos of the domes being lifted off and craned on:
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More fun in astronomy
Saturn, Jupiter, Mars and Venus will be visible all in a row to the southeast. With binoculars or a clear view, Mercury may also be just visible with Uranus just next to Venus at about 5 a.m.
There will also be super full moon, also known as a strawberry moon rising at about 10:30 p.m. tonight.
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York University is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change and prepare our students for success. York’s fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario’s Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. York’s campuses in Costa Rica and India offer students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.
Media Contact:
Sandra McLean, York University Media Relations, 416-272-6317, sandramc@yorku.ca
