Open roof viewing for astronomers

With clear night skies this week Tauranga astronomers are expected to be putting their new telescope through its paces.
The new Meade 14” reflecting telescope was installed on its new custom-built viewing platform in what used to be the Ferguson Park Soccer Club rooms.

Astronomical society members and the new telescope.

The roof over the viewing platform slides back, allowing full night sky viewing.
The Meade LX200 ACF has a built-in GPS to locate itself on the surface of the planet.
This is the key to enabling it to point straight to any star in the catalogues.
Society member Toby Tobias says the beauty of the system is it can be operated remotely with the telescope’s view shown on a large screen.
“Then we can watch it down below on TV,” says Tobias.
It means several people can view the result at the same time and that on cold nights they can stay inside and enjoy their viewing in comfort.
The ACF tag on the $14,000 telescope stands for advanced coma free optics, enabling astronomers to see fainter stars.
People are able to join the society’s meetings, which are on the fourth Tuesday of every month.