This is a preliminary site index page but it will in time become the entry portal to our operational observatory. Our "Master Plan" is evolving as we are evaluating options but basically we have acquired a wonderful research grade Astronomical Observatory that was built in Arizona, this is in addition to our other resources of telescopes and specialized equipment. If we can find a suitable location, and if there is interest in our proposal by local governments, then we hope to establish the facility in a way that will promote science education through astronomy in the Baltimore-Washington, D.C. corridor.
Aquired on 9 August 2007, the MCCM Observatory is built around our Optical Guidance Systems (OGS) RC24, a 24 inch (0.61 m) aperture Ritchey-Chrétien professional grade computer controlled telescope complete with an aluminum observatory dome with steel foundation structure. We also obtained the complete design blueprints for the entire facility as it was originally built in Arizona; this includes the observatory foundation with the detached classroom and control facility building, and so the reconstruction of this in Maryland should go uneventfully.
The facility is undergoing relocation from the clear and dark skies of Arizona to the light polluted skies of Maryland where it and its associated equipment with other visual and radio telescopes will be made available for the following purposes:
- Primary: promote science education through astronomy for primary and secondary students within the tri-county region.
- host class field trips for presentations day and night about astronomy and related sciences
- evening sessions for visual observing of celestial objects and man made satellites
- daytime opportunities for safe Solar visual observing
- access to remote control imaging and studies of celestial objects, man made satellites
- continue cooperation with other programs (NASA Sun-Earth Day activities, the Analemma Society of Great Falls VA, NEODyS, etc.)
- Secondary: cooperate with NASA and Universities in studies of value to science (Gamma Ray Burst, Near Earth Objects, etc.)
- Tertiary: reward those who have patronized Company Seven and share its ideals with opportunities to experience celestial wonders
- Finally: provide the public with opportunities to glimpse occasional significant astronomical events.
This facility will as a matter of principle and practice not compete with but will work to promote the regional non-profit astronomical societies as Company Seven has historically done.
Where and how? Our process will evaluate several possible locations in Maryland where the Observatory may operate. The long term goal would be to establish a complex situated on a few acres whereby Company Seven maintains the retail showroom and museum (much as it is now in Laurel, MD), and with a class room or lecture hall. Plans also call for the building of a second smaller observatory housing a smaller telescope suitable for solar applications, and several pads for portable telescopes. The facility will have parking suitable for visiting school bus or two, and for casual traffic. This should be located somewhere so that it can on rare occasion support large numbers of visitors such as we hosted during the last visit of Comet Halley 1984-1985, and later when Comet Shoemaker-Levy impacted Jupiter for example. Management of the Observatory will be conducted by the senior staff of Company Seven with routine operations assisted by qualified area school staff and volunteers. The educational programs at this facility will be coordinated to compliment those of the regional schools.
"This is at least initially a benevolent dictatorship, it is not a vascillating democratic organization. Nor will it become a vehicle to obtain riches and dodge taxes - it will not become "The Church of the Real Estate Holding Magnificent Astronomical Tax Dodge". Good things will be accomplished, and done so on a timetable. Because the Observatory can be self sustaining, once established it will have the resources to continue to operate as Company Seven has historically done, in an idealistic manner."
M. Cohen, Field Marshal General For Life and Beneficent Dictator
When? The owners of the land in Arizona where the observatory is currently installed seek to develop the area into a housing community, and so is important that we remove the Observatory by June 2008 and so we will need to find a suitable relocation site soon. The move will ideally transport the facility directly to where it can be established in Maryland. One possibility is that the crated telescope and structures may be stored until a site is ready for it. In order to locate the Observatory on land that is suitable for the public we will invite donations and consider some relationship with local government.
Table Above: Observatory and telescope as it appeared while at the Biosphere 2 complex in Arizona.
Click on each image to see the enlarged view.
Above: MCCM Observatory Logo
representing night and day time
applications possible at the facility.
Selected by unanimous vote of
the Member of the Board Dec 2007 |
MCCM OBSERVATORY RESOURCES & SPECIFICATIONS
OBSERVING PLANNING AIDS - Night Sky, Sun, Moon information:
 Lunar Phases Information about the phases of the moon, and how they occur, when and where to look for these phases.
Weather Sky Clock for Washington, D.C. area (updated automatically)
The Sky Above Company Seven. The default shows the sky over our showroom in Laurel, Maryland. When page opens then you may scroll to the bottom of the page to enter your observing location, time, date, etc. Note that Universal Time is 4 hours ahead of Washington, D.C. EST, or 5 hours EDT. Click on any area of the map to see an enlarged detailed view.
Complete Sun and Moon Data for One Day Complete Sun and Moon Data for One Day. You can obtain the times of sunrise, sunset, moonrise, moonset, transits of the Sun and Moon, and the beginning and end of civil twilight, along with information on the Moon's phase by specifying the date and location. This is a public service provided by the U.S. Naval Observatory Astronomical Applications Department through Company Seven, used by permission.
NEWS AND DEVELOPMENTS
HISTORY
|
The Board of Director will be meeting with Maryland State and with county government representatives of the tri-county region (Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George's) to determine if there is a suitable use for the Observatory complex in these areas. The determination by The Board of the most suitable location will be based on evaluation of:
- Highest possible elevation with widest attainable horizon.
- Sensitivity of the local government to preserving the night sky experience.
- Accessibility by public and private primary and secondary schools of Howard County, Montgomery County, and Prince George's County.
- Convenience to these schools will be balanced with a location that is as reasonably dark and with clear views to near the horizon as can be expected.
- The least bureaucratic hurdles to obtaining common sense agreements and implementations.
Interest in this plan has been expressed by the administrations of two of the local counties that have been contacted so far.
The concept of an astronomical observatory is benign and non disruptive by nature. And since it is not suitable to install this at a commercial location (near shopping centers with glare from lights, etc.) some cooperation by local Zoning officials will be necessary.
Preliminary discussions with realtors about buying land have been conducted. It will be best for the viability of the facility to either locate it onto privately owned land, or possibly land leased for an extended term. We are not in a hurry to buy land while the recent irrational exuberance of the real estate market has rendered most property overvalued, and so we would prefer to wait and see this adjustment continue down in price all the while continuing our own fund raising.
Plans call for the disassembly of the facility in Arizona in early June 2008, soon after the end of the school year. We are in the process of evaluating the best methods for disassembly, crating and transport of the components to Maryland. The transport to Maryland will be intermodal, by truck and rail.
Warehouse space in Laurel, Maryland has been offered by a benefactor for the temporary storage of the observatory components until a suitable location can be purchased or leased.
The Internet Domain "mccmo.org" has been acquired by us should the organization decide to proceed with the previously tentative name. This will also facilitate moving ahead to obtaining a formal "non-profit" determination if the Board deems this is in the best interest of the organization.
Areas of particular interest include:
1. Rocky Gorge: areas bordering the north boundaries of the Rocky Gorge water reservoir are particularly attractive since they overlook thermally steady, development protected areas. The region of south Howard County that is west of Interstate 95, extending to just west of Columbia Pike/Route 29 and north to Scaggsville Rd/Route 216 and south to Spencerville Rd/Route 198. This area is not highly developed (yet) and can be reasonably dark, with some high ground providing good horizons especially just west of Rout 29. The entire region is very easy to access by schools via several major arteries. See the aerial view of this area.
Right: Map of the region that contains the areas of prime interest for locating the Observatory.
Click on image to see enlarged view.
2. West Laurel: Prince George's County and Montgomery County areas west of Interstate 95 along the Patuxent River and Rocky Gorge Reservior. This may include areas off Route 29, Route 198, and Brooklyn Bridge Road with parklands and reservoir to the North. Some areas can be comparatively dark. The area is mostly residential and developed.
3. North Laurel: Howard County high ground in the vicinity of Route 1 and Whiskey Bottom Road. This area is congested and mostly commercial and so it is comparatively bright and for visual observing is a poor location, but has some good vantage points and is easily accessed by schools of Laurel, and surrounding counties: Prince George's, Anne Arundel.
4. Prince George's County, Laurel area bounded by Spencerville Rd/Route 198, Old Gunpowder Road and Van Dusen Road. Large areas are undeveloped but this includes Fairland Regional Park and Gunpowder Golf Club, facilities that have illuminated fields and/or parking areas. High tension Power Lines are in the area and may limit the vantage point from some locations. The future of this area is uncertain but development is almost a certainty in the coming years and this could be problematic.
Above: Biosphere 2 Campus.
The observatory was originally dedicated in October 1999 on the Biosphere 2 campus located about a thirty minute drive north east of Tucson, Arizona. It was envisioned to to compliment Earth Science programs at the campus by participating in Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) objects sky surveys and to support educational outreach programs. Biosphere 2 was then a part of the Columbia Earth Institute, a consortium of more than a dozen research and education resources dedicated to studying the earth and the environment. The Observatory was strictly a Columbia University project initiative decided when they were managing the center, and so it was originally operated by Columbia University and with some interest from University of Arizona.
The observatory was situated on a bluff high above the Biosphere 2 center and the facility consisted of the telescope housed in a 5 meter diameter dome made by Ash Manufacturing, atop its support structure of welded steel and aluminum, and with a classroom and control center building and public viewing area nearby. This complex was designed in 1999 by Gresham & Beach Architects, Inc. an accomplished firm in Tucson, Arizona and it incorporated several advanced environmental features in its design and construction. The benefits of professional design include the incorporation of numerous features that make this facility versatile and highly reliable, with aesthetics that inspired confidence and were pleasing to the eye. Mr. Jim Gresham is providing the blueprints of the facility to the MCCMO team, and so we could not only quickly contract for the fabrication of the observatory concrete foundation and utilities, but we might also recreate the nearby classroom and control structure possibly with some modifications to suit our colder climate.
The fabrication of the 24 inch (0.61m) telescope and its optics, and of the observatory dome and related structures were afforded the appropriate care and diligence since this was hoped to become a jewel in the public eye. This Ritchey-Chrétien telescope was popularized correctly as being similar in design to the Hubble Space Telescope.
The Biosphere 2 Observatory telescope saw first light in the Fall of 1999. The telescope is computer-controlled locally or the entire observatory can also be operated remotely via the Internet, so observers worldwide were able to log on to the Biosphere 2 Web site to view southern Arizona's night skies. After relocation to Maryland it will retain this capability for remote control and access under the new ownership, and it will feature newer and more advanced CCD based imaging devices.
Above: Biosphere 2 Observatory and Control Center/Classroom Building. Click on image to see enlarged view.
While in service at Biosphere 2 the Observatory provided students the opportunity to study variable stars, supernovae and near-Earth asteroids. "It will provide Universe Semester students with a world-class chance to study astronomy and provide a new resource for Tucsonians and visitors," said Chris Bannon, Vice President for operations at Biosphere 2. The facility hosted among others, a program called 'Universe Semester'. This was an intensive undergraduate program in astronomy and astrophysics that focused on night observations under the clear, desert sky, miles away from any significant light pollution from the cities. The course offered undergraduate students a full semester of Columbia University credit.
Right: Biosphere 2 logo; what a magnificent concept this has been!
Another program was "Summer of Stars", a four-week summer program offering college students the opportunity to study the planets, moon, Comets, stellar formations, asteroids, and galaxies using the 24-inch telescope and astronomical CCD camera. The observatory also offered short courses on astronomy open to the public and the Passport to Learning™ program that introduced school-age children to the wonders of the Earth and sky.
The Biosphere 2 Observatory participated in the international Near Earth Objects - Dynamic Site (NEODyS) project where data about near Earth objects are collected and analyzed to calculate Earth Impact Possibilities and to provide risk assessments. The NEODyS web site at http://newton.dm.unipi.it/cgi-bin/neodys/neoibo?sites_list:0;main hosts observational data contributed from more than 1,340 observatories located around the world pertaining to asteroids, comets, and other moving objects within our solar system. The data is continually and (almost) automatically maintained database of near earth asteroid orbits, while Comet orbit data are planned to be added in a future expansion of the mission.
This site provides a number of services to the NEO community:
- For each NEO in the NEODyS database the results of their orbit determination are available for inspection and comparison with other sources. Everything needed by the user to verify the computations is available online, including software for a variety of operating systems.
- The NEODyS observation prediction service provides ephemeris predictions and finder charts with information on the linear or semi-linear confidence region as appropriate. An online document describing the semi-linear confidence theory is available.
- Each object is linked to a database of known physical properties.
The Biosphere 2 Observatory was designated NEODyS Observatory No. 853. Between 12 October 1999 through 29 November 2000 the Biosphere 2 Observatory telescope contributed 449 observations of Near Earth Asteroids (NEA) to the NEODyS program. The information provided by the Biosphere 2 Observatory to NEODyS are recorded and available to the public at http://newton.dm.unipi.it/cgi-bin/neodys/neoibo?sites:853;obs;1;200. The list includes objects of apparent magnitude routinely between 17 to 20, and as faint as 20.3 - not bad with 1990's technology CCD cameras!*
* Magnitude is a measure of how bright or faint an object is. The lower the number, even into negative numbers, then the brighter the object is. The measure of magnitudes is not a simple progression but it is instead a logarithmic scale, so that for example a magnitude number change from 1 to 2 is a step 2.512 times fainter. A star that is two magnitudes fainter would be 2.512 x 2.512 or appear 6.31 times fainter. A five fold magnitude change would differ by a factor of about 100 times. The healthy human eye at night can see objects as faint as about 5.5 to 6. This 24 inch telescope should under ideal skies show objects to the eye as faint as about magnitude 16. Using 1990's CCD camera technology it showed objects to magnitude 20.3.
When reactivated in Maryland, and with upgraded CCD technologies we hope to continue the work with NEODyS
However, due in part to the remote location this installation the program never became the success it was envisioned to be. The observatory essentially became mothballed with the arid environment and protective dome preserving the telescope and other instruments associated with the original effort. Encroachment from the growing nearby communities not only meant the quality of the night skies were diminishing, but also the value of the land was deemed to exceed the scientific value of the programs at Biosphere 2. And so when the land for the Biosphere 2 project was sold to housing developer, the decision was made to remove the Observatory.
On 9 August 2007 the Biosphere 2 Observatory was acquired from the organization that is managing the development of the land upon which this Observatory was first established by the owner of Company Seven. When the decision was originally made to acquire the observatory and to relocate it to Maryland it was conceived to become a private observatory. But after considering the advanced capabilities of this modern observatory system, and the lack of access by primary and secondary school children to such resources, the choice was made to consider establishing this in a manner that would make it convenient for educators and their students.
Above: Plans call for the relocating of the Observatory from Arizona to Maryland, a 2,300 mile venture!
For the time being feel free to contact us through Company Seven with any questions or suggestions.
|
C-7 News 
