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New 36-inch Telescope opens at Chabot Space & Science Center

“Nellie” to Make Public Debut on June 21, 2003, 8pm to midnight

28 May 2003--Oakland, CA: Chabot Space & Science Center will unveil the latest addition to its family of telescopes on June 21, 2003, with the public debut of “Nellie,” the Center’s new, much-anticipated 36-inch Cassegrain reflector telescope. Housed in a rolling roof observatory that allows open access to 360 degrees of sky, “Nellie” becomes one of the largest reflector telescopes in the United States available to the public on a regular basis. Measuring 93 inches long and weighing in at 12,000 pounds, “Nellie” is a fully modern research-quality telescope that will bring breath-taking views of the cosmos to Chabot visitors. The 36-inch reflector will collect much more light than Chabot’s smaller refractor telescopes, providing a dramatic difference in its ability to capture sharper, brighter images.

“Chabot has a long history of doing research with its telescopes,” said Chabot Executive Director Alexandra Barnett. “But over the years, technology has moved on. Enabled by a generous donation from the Martin family, the United Sates Air Force and the City of Oakland, this new research-level telescope allows us to build on that legacy and provide new opportunities for the public and for schools. I personally can’t wait to look through it!”

“Nellie’s” Public Grand Opening is scheduled for Saturday, June 21, from 8 pm to midnight, in an evening that includes telescope viewing, a planetarium show, exhibits and hands-on activities. Tickets — are available by calling the Chabot Box office at (510) 336-7373.

A special preview for media and major donors on the evening of June 18 is being sponsored by Accenture. “Chabot Space & Science Center has been an educational and scientific bedrock in the Bay Area for well over 100 years,” commented Bart Hughes, a partner in Accenture’s Communication & High Tech practice group. “We are proud to align ourselves with an institution that values innovative methods of providing science and technology education to students of all ages.”

Designed as a classical Cassegrain telescope, “Nellie’s” f/8 (288-inch) optical path incorporates several mirrors that bring starlight to a focus at a much more usable height than most telescopes its size. With a tube only seven feet long, the average height for the viewing eyepiece will be just five to six feet above the floor. Fully computer-controlled, “Nellie” is equipped with a digital CCD camera that can capture photographs of distant galaxies and transmit them via the Chabot website almost as soon as they are taken, allowing students and teachers an opportunity to make observations through a research-quality telescope from classroom Internet connections. In addition to public viewing and student research, Chabot’s staff of astronomers will conduct planetary research, particularly of Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, as well as asteroid tracking, supernova searches, extra-solar planet transit searches, and optical SETI, using the new telescope.

An exhibit showcasing the 36" reflecting telescope and its future research capabilities will accompany the new telescope. Installed along the north and west walls of the roll-off roof observatory, the exhibit is designed to increase the visitor's understanding of how the instrument works, how it differs from Chabot's other telescopes and what it is capable of accomplishing. Back lit panels will allow both day and evening visitors to read about the telescope's design and planned research activities, and imbedded lcd video screens will feature well-known researchers, like Dr. Geoff Marcy of UC Berkeley, speaking on current astronomical topics related to that research.
The telescope and observatory were funded through a generous donation from Merrill and Lillian Martin of Oakland, who named the telescope “Nellie” after Mr. Martin’s grandmother and their youngest daughter. “Astronomy and astrophotography have been hobbies for most of my life so I was happy to have the opportunity to support Chabot in making this new telescope possible. Years ago I attended the old Chabot on Mountain Boulevard and took astronomy classes and shot photographs from the 20” telescope. My family and I are pleased to support Chabot in bringing this wonderful opportunity to the community.” Additional funding was provided by the United States Air Force and the City of Oakland. Chabot’s Reynolds Observatory is also home to 20-inch “Rachel” — the largest refractor telescope in the Western U.S. regularly open to the public — and to Chabot’s historic 8-inch Alvan Clark refractor telescope, “Leah,” the original 1883 instrument donated by founder Anthony Chabot.

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GENERAL INFORMATION
Chabot Space & Science Center is located at 10000 Skyline Blvd. in Oakland’s Joaquin Miller Park.  Chabot’s Observatories are open for free public viewing on Friday and Saturday nights, dusk – 10:30 pm, weather permitting.

For more information, call (510) 336-7300, or visit www.chabotspace.org