�Ļ�ӰԺ Observatory

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June Stargazing Features Whirlpool Galaxy

The �Ļ�ӰԺ Observatory offers views of Mars, the moon and the Whirlpool Galaxy on Friday, June 20, beginning at 8:30 p.m. and lasting several hours. �Ļ�ӰԺ hosts a free, public stargazing event on the third Friday of every month in conjunction with the , whose members bring their own telescopes to share.

The Whirlpool Galaxy in a photo taken by the Keck Telescope

The Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) and its smaller companion (NGC 5195) will be on the celestial menu. The viewing will also feature breathtaking views of the craters on the moon, which will be a waning crescent.

The college’s powerful Keck Telescope is housed in the observatory, beyond the centerfield fence at Carr Field. Parking will be available at the baseball field. Parking at the track is blocked off and unavailable.

To enter �Ļ�ӰԺ’s campus, please use the Main Entrance off of La Paz Road. The lower entrance off of Cold Springs Road is closed to visitors after 7 p.m.

In case of inclement weather, please call the Telescope Viewing Hotline at (805) 565-6272 and check the observatory website to see if the viewing has been canceled.

KECK TELESCOPE

A Powerful Instrument for Astronomical Observations at �Ļ�ӰԺ

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The Keck Telescope, a computer-controlled 24-inch F/8 Cassegrain reflector with Ritchey-Chretien optics (the same configuration used on the Hubble Space Telescope), has served as a versatile instrument for �Ļ�ӰԺ faculty and students for over a decade and remains one of the most powerful telescopes on the California Central Coast. Not only has the device been used for a variety of research projects and coursework, but it has also been a source of awe and inspiration for the greater Santa Barbara community.

The �Ļ�ӰԺ Observatory also serves as one of the free, public observing sites for the Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit (SBAU) every third Friday of the month. In particular, the Keck Telescope has provided clearer and more dramatic demonstrations of the splendor of God’s creation to members of the broader Santa Barbara community, including young children and students in local schools.

“The observatory remains a signature component of the �Ļ�ӰԺ campus and a favorite among our current students and returning alumni,” says Professor Bob Haring-Kaye from the Department of Physics and Engineering. “We are excited to see how this facility will continue to be used to provide outstanding educational experiences, including meaningful research experiences, to our students and point to the artistic grandeur of the Creator.”

Three students walking in front of the Carroll Observatory.

The Keck Telescope

History

The original �Ļ�ӰԺ College Observatory was dedicated on June 1, 1957. (It has since been replaced by a new observatory in 2010.) The main dome featured a 16.5-inch reflector which was made and donated by George Carroll. The scope was equipped for spectroscopic and micrometric work, whose introduction originally made national news.

More recently, the original telescope caught the limelight as a group of amateur astronomers from the Santa Barbara Astronomy group observed the rotation of Mars with a CCD camera (Astronomy Magazine, Feb. 1989, p. 92.) These were some of the very first CCD images of Mars taken by amateurs.