CHAMPAIGN, IL (Monday, May 20) – A 117-year-old telescope in the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Observatory will be lifted out of the dome by a crane for scheduled restoration on
Wednesday, May 22 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. The Observatory is located at 901 South Mathews Avenue.
The Brashear refracting telescope, built in 1896, remained active professionally in the Observatory until 1967 and is still utilized for educational instruction and public outreach. Due to the weight of larger sections of the telescope, some parts will be removed by Facilities & Services through the dome slit.
The restoration, to be performed by Ray Museum Studios of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, is being supported by the Chancellor’s Fund and from Friends of the University of Illinois Observatory donations.
Thursday, May 23 is reserved as a backup date should weather conditions necessitate postponement.
Telescope and Observatory images are available for download at:
https://uofi.box.com/telescope