As you hopefully saw from the Observatory's main page our design is not like a typical astronomical observatory design (a dome). Instead, it is a roll-off roof design. This design was chosen for several reasons, but mostly it gives us the ability to point multiple telescopes at different areas of the sky. Below are some more examples of what we are building.
The basic design of the our observatory is a "pole barn" with some modification. If you are not from Carroll County or a farmer you may not be familiar with this method of construction, it is really simple-- dig a hole, stick a pole in the hole, fill with concrete. These poles become the studs for the exterior and interior walls. Simple to construct, cheap to build and the strongest thing you can build!
The following images are an artistic representation of the observatory, hopefully this gives you a better idea of what we are building.
By day the observatory looks like a barn, by night the roof rolls off and becomes a fully functional research and educational facility.
The roof rolls over a picnic area, during the night this area can be used as an instructional area for large groups. During the day it becomes an area to have a picnic with you friends.
Once the observatory is built, our next project is to build a ADA accessible telescope. This telescope will be one of the largest telescopes in the state and the only one accessible to a wheelchair.
