The John Kidner StarDeck
is a new addition to BHO. The StarDeck provides a comfortable spot to sit
while your Tour Guide, John Crossen, highlights the constellations with
a powerful laser pointer. Designed specifically for astronomy, the pointer
shoots a shaft of light 5,000 feet into the sky. You'd almost think it reaches
out and touches the stars. The StarDeck also has an 80mm refractor for wide-field
views of star clusters.
Also
new is the Observatory's dedicated lunar and planetary telescope. Known
as "The Yard Cannon," the massive 6-inch Celestron refractor has
been modified to deliver superb views of the planets and the Moon. The Observatory's
new Personal Observing Dome or POD is now its permanent home. The Yard Cannon's
motorized mount is computerized and slews to its chosen target with push-button
ease.
The Observatory's principal
telescope is an 11-inch Celestron NexStar. It, too, is computerized with
GoTo slewing to any object in its database. The scope's 11-inch aperture
gathers lots of light so even dim and distant galaxies are bright in the
eyepiece.
Care to do a little
space exploration on your own? The Observatory has 8 pair of binoculars
which guests are invited to use. Binoculars are a gret way to learn the
night sky and are recommended instead of a telescope for beginners.