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Design Images of the Clinton B. Ford Observatory
Prof. Dan Briotta has received a grant from the National Science Foundation to purchase a research quality telescope and observing equipment for the new Ithaca College Observatory. Major funding for the observatory was made possible by a grant from the estate of the late Clinton Ford, a trustee of the college and an avid amateur astronomer.
The observatory will be used primarily for undergraduate research projects in the Physics Department to support a new concentration and minor program in astronomy. It will also be used in the introductory astronomy lab courses and for general observing in the astronomy lecture courses.
The Mouse Hunt
In the fall of 2004, while I was on sabbatical leave, the large telescope stopped working. A little detective work showed that a mouse had built a nest among the telescope control wires, and had chewed them. Repairs will be begin after the damage has been assessed.