GMO at the 235th Conference of the American Astronomical Society

Congratulations to GMO intern and CUNY-LaGuardia student Christian Singleton on his presentation of work being done right here at the observatory! Christian has been working through the CUNY Research Scholars Program (CRSP), and his time as a fellow in this program has included remote research as well as in-person, hands-on training here at the observatory itself. Please enjoy a digital version of Christian’s research which was presented this weekend at the 235th meeting of the American Astronomical Society, and please also feel free to reach out if you have any questions about GMO’s academic programming opportunities.

Great work, Christian!

Grand Mesa Observatory LBN 782 featured on the BBC Sky at Night!

We are very pleased to have a recent image of LBN 782 captured at Grand Mesa Observatory this past November featured on the December 2019 edition of BBC Sky at Night! If you would like to check it out you can follow this link or click on the image below: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07wrw38/p07wrtzv

This image was captured on System 4 using a Takahashi E-180 and QHY 128C, the image was captured and processed by our Beta Tester, Tom Masterson (www.transientastronomer.com)

We're Going to AIC!

The Advanced Imaging Conference is once again right around the corner, but this will be the first AIC that Grand Mesa Observatory has had the honor of attending. We hope you’re as excited as we are, and in order to celebrate the occasion we’re giving away a door prize for attendees of the show! Our top entry will receive 3 free months of our subscription data services on any one of our operational imaging systems. We’ll have a booth set up at the show all weekend and we look forward to meeting as many of you as possible.

See you soon!

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The Sky is Not the Limit for Learning

Grand Mesa Observatory gave a series of two classes (presentations) for the nonprofit group New Dimensions, lead by PR Director and GMO volunteer Nancy McGuire. New Dimensions Lifelong Learning Institute is a membership education program for Grand Valley adults 50 and older that offers a variety of classes focused on academic and personal enrichment. Their classes are taught by volunteer instructors with expertise and personal passion for their subject. The first of two classes (presentations) was the general astronomy themed "Our Home the Milky Way and Beyond". Their members had to register ahead of time, and we were asked if we could expand the class (there is usually a cap on attendance) to accommodate more people. About 70 New Dimensions members attended the first presentation. The organizers mentioned that this was among one of their largest attended classes! The following week, Nancy gave another presentation "Grand Mesa Observatory; The Education, The Science, and Astrophotography". People were astonished that the observatory is here on the Western Slope and that such amazing astrophotos are taken here. They were also very pleased to know about our educational outreach. After having attended the classes, and having their interest in astronomy and the observatory further piqued, members were invited to attend one of GMO's night sky viewing events.

Members interacted after both presentations with thoughtful questions.


Grand Mesa Observatory at TEDx GJ - "We Are Creators"

Grand Mesa Observatory was invited to exhibit at the 2nd. annual TEDx Grand Junction. This year's theme was "We Are Creators" and the day-long event featured a series of talks plus a display area in which GMO had a booth. 

"In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience". "The  difference between TED and TEDx events are that the former takes more of a global approach while the latter typically focuses on a local community that concentrates on local voices."

During breaks from the main speakers of the day, attendees of the event visited the booths in the display area. The Grand Mesa Observatory booth featured a rotating slide show about the observatory and its nonprofit mission, astrophotos taken at GMO, a telescope demonstration, a banner about our services, and both the director and assistant director who were there all day speaking with guests.

As one of the Western Slope's newest technological entities we were honored and proud to share our creative offerings with the attendees of this important TEDx event.

"The Sun, The Moon, and The Stars" Light Up Clifton Elementary"

On February 1st., "The Sun, The Moon, and The Stars" was presented to a group of 2nd to 5th graders with Significant Special Needs.The idea was to get them excited about astronomy with a preliminary presentation, then follow that up with a visit by the students to the observatory. The students participated by answering quiz questions and by asking questions. The one question from presenter, GMO volunteer Nancy, that always gets a lot of responses is "who thinks that they might want to be an astronomer or an astronaut someday?" Many hands always go up in the air! A number of teachers attended the presentation as well, along with enthusiastic questions of their own. As astonishing as details about the solar system and the universe are, the video of the GMO roof opening and the telescopes slewing, and astrophotos taken at GMO always prove to be the highlight of the presentation for the young audience members. Audible gasps can usually be heard. GMO looks forward to a visit by the group!

A Very Special Birthday Celebration for Danny

Grand Mesa Observatory was host to a very special birthday gift from the fabulous wife of "turning 35" Danny. Katie wanted to give Danny, who loves the stars, a very special gift for his birthday. To do so, she rented telescope time at Grand Mesa Observatory along with an astrophotography lesson from Director Terry Hancock. Katie and Danny had a private tour of the observatory complex, after which they spent a number of hours in the main observatory, enjoying hors d'ouvres, taking long exposure images of the deep sky object “Barnard's Loop” with Terry, learning how to process the data, and eventually celebrating with birthday cake, candles, and singing from the observatory staff.

A week or so later, Danny and Katie returned and Danny was surprised and thrilled that Katie had a second gift for him - a glossy print of Barnard's Loop from the data they had taken! This amazing picture is already proudly hanging in their home as a reminder of this unique birthday experience, and the couple has even reported back to observatory staff how enthralled they were with their experience at GMO. Danny has subsequently helped enhance the electrical setup in the PodMax research and science dome at the observatory, and the couple will no doubt be fantastic volunteers and friends to the observatory going forward.

Outreach on the Opposite Side of the Mesa

On February 9th, 2019 the Grand Mesa Observatory was asked to present at the Collbran branch of the Mesa County Library system! The presenter for this event was GMO’s assistant director Isaac Garfinkle, and for this particular public outreach event the topic was our general-purpose introduction to astronomy titled “Our Home the Milky Way and Beyond”. In addition to a couple local residents we were fortunate enough to have the members of a small local astronomy club in attendance, the members of whom are currently participants at the nearby Civilian Conservation Corps just down the road from the library. Our hostess for the event was the branch director, Julie, and we could not have asked for anyone better! In addition to getting the incredible space set up for visitors she gave a great overview of the historical significance of the property which is located in a very old bank building. Isaac brought some prints to show what the observatory does, as well as some equipment to show what a typical imaging setup would look like.

This was a very fun event with great participation and a great location, so hopefully we can make it back up to Collbran soon!

Galaxies, Star Clusters and Nebulae Fill the Hall at Mesa County Main Branch Library!

The Grand Mesa Observatory is thrilled to have an exhibit of astrophotography prints lining the hallway of the main branch of the Mesa County Library. The Library and Grand Mesa Observatory are both dedicated to bringing astronomy to the people of Western Colorado.

All of the stunning photos of deep space objects were taken locally right here on the Western Slope (many at Grand Mesa Observatory). Four of GMO's staff (Terry Hancock, Isaac Garfinkle, John Mansur, and Tom Masterson), plus Western Colorado Astronomy club member Victor Barton's talents are showcased at the exhibit. The photos cover a diverse range of deep sky objects and are done in color, Hubble Palette, and black and white. Something for everyone! The exhibit opened on February 1st. and will run through March 14th.

Members of the community are encouraged to view the exhibit and are also invited to visit Grand Mesa Observatory for tours of the observatory and night sky viewing events. They are also invited to attend Western Colorado Astronomy Club meetings held at the library as well as special astronomy events to be held there. Information can be found at grandmesaobservatory.com and  wcacastronomy.org