Here’s something of a shout-out to some of our Wisconsin neighbors: Ray Setzer has created virtual tours of the grounds of the Modine-Benstead Observatory in Union Grove. Part of the surprisingly sophisticated Racine Astronomical Society, the observatory features a 16-inch Newtonian Cassegrain reflecting telescope and a 14-inch Celestron Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope, both domed.
Editor's note: When visiting WIVirtual.com to see the virtual tours, scroll down to the "Racine Astronomical Society" (September 10, 2009) headline.
The observatory’s proximity to Milwaukee makes it a fairly easy destination for our Illinois friends as well as Wisconsinites. And if seeing these 360° pictures of the scopes in all their glory isn’t enough to make you want to see them in person, consider visiting for Galilean Day October 24. Both solar and stellar observing will be available, but given the date, remember to dress warm for the latter.
The observatory’s Galilean Day is part of Galilean Nights, a Cornerstone Project of the International Year of Astronomy. The idea is to get lots of people to look at the heavens one way or another because presumably once you’ve seen how amazing the sky can be, you’ll be hooked on astronomy. Makes sense to me.
So whether or not you see a trip to Racine in your future (and let me know if you plan on going), look around in these virtual tours and gawk at the scopes. It’s easy and fun for us to post pictures of the great sights available through telescopes like these, but it’s good to remember what makes it all possible, too. And be sure to look carefully because Setzer promises “at least one ‘Easter egg’ in the tours.”
Photo credit: Ray Setzer/WIvirtual.com