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L. Connolly, S. Lederer (Calif. St. Univ. San Bernardino)
With a major grant from the W. M. Keck Foundation, California State University, San Bernardino is establishing a state-of-the-art teaching astronomical observatory. The Observatory will be fundamental to an innovative undergraduate physics and astronomy curriculum for Physics and Liberal Studies majors and will be integrated into our General Education program. The critical need for a research and educational observatory is linked to changes in California’s Science Competencies for teacher certification. Development of the Observatory will also complement a new infusion of NASA funding and equipment support for our growing astronomy education programs and the University’s established Strategic Plan for excellence in education and teacher preparation.
The Observatory will consist of two domed towers. One tower will house a 20" Ritchey-Chretien telescope equipped with a CCD camera in conjunction with either UBVRI broadband filters or a spectrometer for evening laboratories and student research projects. The second tower will house the university’s existing 12" Schmidt-Cassegrain optical telescope coupled with a CCD camera and an array of filters. A small aperture solar telescope will be attached to the 12" for observing solar prominences while a milar filter can be attached to the 12" for sunspot viewing. We have been very fortunate to receive a challenge grant of $600,000 from the W. M. Keck Foundation to equip the two domed towers; we continue to seek a further $800,000 to meet our construction needs. Funding also provided by the California State University, San Bernardino.
The author(s) of this abstract have provided an email address for comments about the abstract: lconnoll@csusb.edu
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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 36 5
© 2004. The American Astronomical Society.