Martin Observatory
Martin Observatory
| Outreach Program
| Virginia Tech Physics Department
| Virginia Tech
The Observatory
The Martin
Observatory, located on the grounds of the Miles C. Horton Sr. Center*,
in Giles County, Virginia, is the primary teaching observatory of Virginia Tech. Run by the Department of Physics, this
observatory is used by advanced students in a variety of courses (e.g.,
Observational
Astrophysics), and for Outreach Programs.
The observatory houses a 14-inch telescope
which is mounted on a Paramount ME computer-controlled equatorial,
manufactured by Software Bisque. The
telescope is equipped with an ST-8E CCD camera and filter wheel from the
Santa Barbara Instrument Group. The
14-inch observatory has been assigned Observatory Code 841 by the
International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center
(for use in reporting observations of asteroid positions).
In addition to the 0.4m teaching instrument the
Virginia Tech Spectral Line Imaging Camera (SLIC) is also located at the
Martin Observatory. This research instrument is used by Virginia Tech
astronomers in wide-field CCD imaging of the faint emission produced by
ionized interstellar gas in our Galaxy (Virginia Tech Spectral-Line Survey, or
VTSS). This work contributes
to such wide-ranging astronomical topics as our knowledge of structures
in the interstellar medium (for example, "superbubbles" inflated by
supernovae), and searches for irregularities in the cosmic background
radiation (the remnant radiation of the Big Bang).
Virgina Tech,
also known as Virginia Polytechnic Insitute and State University, is located
in Blacksburg, in southwestern Virginia.
The Virginia Tech Physics Department, in collaboration
with the Wilderness Conservancy at Mountain Lake, conducts shows
at the Martin Observatory during non-winter months (including summer).
These shows are open to school groups (K-12,
colleges, etc.), and organized private groups. Groups of about 20, at maximum,
can be accommodated. Shows consist of a tour of
the 14-inch telescope, and a look at some of the images collected by the instrument (these digital images are displayed
on a computer screen). When weather permits, the group may have the opportunity
to watch as the telescope is used to collect an image of some distant object. Friday night shows are available.
There are no daytime shows; we do not have a planetarium at the observatory.
To obtain more information, or schedule a show,
send e-mail to jhs@vt.edu.
Martin Observatory
| Outreach Program | Virginia
Tech Physics Department | Virginia Tech
*The Horton Center is a facility of the Mary Moody Northen Endowment and Virginia Tech.
The observatory's Outreach
Program program is supported by the Mary Moody Northen Endowment, the Horton
Foundation, and the Virginia Tech ReachOUT Program. At Virginia Tech, observational
astronomy has been supported by the Horton Foundation, and research is astronomy
is support by the National Science Foundation.
Image of M51 by Adam Drake, Victor
Gehman, Seth Hornstein, and Chad King, using the 0.4m telescope. Image
of Martin Observatory dome by Michael Garrahan. Image of the 0.4m
telescope by Susan Kayser.
