The Department of Physics operates an astronomical observatory located on the roof of the South Physics building. The current facility consists of a motorized dome that houses a Meade 12" LX200 Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope. A CCD camera as well as various filters and eyepieces complement the basic telescope. The CCD camera has been interfaced to a Windows based PC that enables the digitized images acquired by the CCD camera to be stored on disk. This telescope also has a computer controlled mount that greatly facilitates finding astronomical objects. The current facility has been used by instructors of the lower level undergraduate astronomy courses to provide their students with "hands-on" observing experience . There are typically more than 500 students enrolled in the three introductory astronomy courses taught by the department. The observatory has also been used as a tool for educational outreach to the local community. Weekly public "star parties" have been held for the past several months since the installation of the new telescope. Typical attendance at these star parties has been between 20 to 30 or more persons.

The Physics Department has recently received a grant from the Willard F. Eccles foundation to purchase equipment to enhance the observatory.  The Physics Department is currently working towards the establishment of a laboratory based astronomy course that will utilize the enhanced facilities. The additional equipment that is being purchased will provide six optical observing stations as well as one radio telescope. The optical observing stations will consist of an 8" telescope, CCD camera and photometric equipment.  Sensitive spectrographic equipment will also be purchased for the  12" telescope housed in the dome.  Less expensive and more robust Solar spectrographs will also be constructed. The spectrographs will enable students to determine  such things as chemical composition of Stellar atmospheres, including the atmosphere of our Sun.  Detailed analysis of the spectra will reveal Doppler shifts that can be used to measure such things as the rotational velocity of the Sun to determination of distances to Quasars.