Facilities
Teaching Observatory
| Teaching Observatory Facilities |
History | Locator Maps | Public Nights |
The mission of the Teaching Observatory is to support the instruction of undergraduate astronomy laboratory courses and to accommodate the Astronomy Department's Public Open Houses. To fulfill this mission, the Teaching Observatory is now equipped with a variety of telescopes and accessories:
Principle Telescopes
| Telescope |
Manufacturer |
Ap |
Foc Len |
Foc Rat |
Comments |
| Clark 8-inch Refractor | Alvan Clark & Sons | 203 mm | 2920 mm | f/14 | An historic 8-inch Clark refractor that delivers exquisite views of the Moon and the planets |
| 12.5-inch Cassegrain Reflector | Army Map Service (AMS) | 318 mm | 5220 mm | f/16 | Equipped with a photoelectric photometer; small auxiliary telescope for imaging Moon with CCD |
| 12-inch Schmidt- Cassegrain | Meade Instruments | 305 mm | 3048 mm | f/10 | On movable tripod; computer controlled |
| 8-inch Schmidt- Cassegrain | Meade Instruments | 200 mm | 2000 mm | f/10 | Six telescopes that can be mounted on permanent piers outside the observatory building |
| 5-inch Schmidt- Cassegrain | Celestron International | 127 mm | 1200 mm | f/10 | Four telescopes that can be mounted on permanent piers outside the observatory building |
Accessories
- Three pairs of binoculars
- Solar and lunar filters, color and polarization filters for planetary observations, and light pollution filters for deep-sky observations
- A variety of quality eyepieces for visual observations
- A computer with astronomical and multimedia presentation software, to support both the teaching and public night activities
- Astronomical maps, atlases, calendars, reference books and other observing aids
All the telescopes (except the 5-inch Schmidt-Cassegrains) are equipped with drive correctors and hand-held slow-motion control panels. The 12-inch Cassegrain and the 8-inch Clark are permanently mounted inside the observatory building, which is equipped with a sliding roof. The Schmidt-Cassegrains are mounted on six permanent piers in front of the observatory building.
An astronomical CCD camera (SBIG ST-6) is available that produces images to complement visual observations during the instruction of the undergraduate laboratory courses and the public night events.
Location
The University of Florida Astronomy Teaching Observatory is located on the UF campus, south of the Reitz Union parking lot and west of the Aerospace Engineering building, off the Museum Road (see locator maps).
Last Updated 01.Sep.2007
