Observatory

ALBERT L. RUPPEL OBSERVATORY

GOALS To promote interest in the science of astronomy, especially for our children, and their children. To stimulate questions in everyone who visits here about the nature of the universe. To record some small parts of the night sky, to look for changes in a largely unchanging universe.

My father accepts a plaque dedicating the observatory in his honor on July 5, 1998. Click here for the DEDICATION remarks.	The PRODOME 10 foot dome houses an LX200 10 inch telescope, with an MX916 camera. An ETX guidescope with an ST-4 autoguider is used for guiding.

The dome on a frosty December morning. Thank goodness for the local area network that lets me manage imaging from inside the house.	The LX200 setup with the True Technology filter wheel and MX916 camera in place.

A Meade ETX mounted with Losmandy rings is used for guiding. PVC rings in the shape of a 'C' protect the ETX and allow easy adjustment.	My homemade 'Al Kelly' lightbox; uses four 1.5V minilamps and a 9V battery. It can also be used in a bright twilight sky. At right is how it attaches to the scope. The red pushbutton switch turns on the lights.