Despite cold and heavy winds, snow, and freezing temperatures, new domes were constructed in Texas at McDonald Observatory and in South Africa at Sutherland!
McDonald Observatory
"Tuesday- Snowing, windy, and below freezing. But we worked anyway." - John Martinez. By the end of the week the weather warmed a bit, much of the snow melted. Walls were assembled and the dome was placed on top! The 1-meter dome, nicknamed Stellan, is near the visitors center at McDonald Observatory and will house the Chow telescope, a one-off telescope project that will be used for outreach.
[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1300","attributes":{"class":"media-image","id":"2","typeof":"foaf:Image"}}]]
(Image Credit: John Martinez)
[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1301","attributes":{"class":"media-image","id":"2","typeof":"foaf:Image"}}]]
(Image Credit: John Martinez)
Sutherland
The walls of the three Stellans were assembled within a week and the three domes attached in just a couple of hours (even in cold weather with heavy winds). Next up, a few 1-meter telescopes!
[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1302","attributes":{"class":"media-image","id":"2","typeof":"foaf:Image"}}]]
(Image Credit : Jim Baumann)
[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1303","attributes":{"class":"media-image","id":"2","typeof":"foaf:Image"}}]]
(Image Credit: Jim Baumann)