College of Science and Technology :: Brooks Astronomical Observatory

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Astronomy professor Wayne Osborn and CMU alumnus Mike Castelaz are on a mission to archive photographic plates that contain valuable nighttime sky observations. These sensitive plates show each star's spectrum of color, which reveals the elements that exist in the star. Such historical plates face neglect and destruction.

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Brooks Astronomical Observatory

The Brooks Astronomical Observatory is operated by the Department of Physics at Central Michigan University. The observatory was established in 1964 when the university opened Brooks Hall, and is located on the building's roof. The building and observatory are named in honor of Dr. Kendall P. Brooks who taught astronomy and other subjects at CMU in the period of 1910-1947.

The observatory houses a 16-inch (40 cm) computer-controlled classical Cassegrain reflector manufactured by DFM Engineering. The present telescope is equipped for CCD direct imaging, medium-dispersion spectroscopy, 35 mm and plate photography, as well as UBVRI photometry for visual observing.

	Observatory sections
	Observatory uses
	Expeditions and consortiums
	Astronomers

Observatory sections

The observatory facility contains two sections: a research and reference area, and an observing area.

Research area. The research area contains a computer lab with six workstations, a Dell server running Linux, a darkroom, an old two-screw plate measuring engine, and a library of about 1,000 volumes of observatory publications, catalogs, charts, and atlases.

Observing area. The observing area includes a 5 meter diameter dome that houses the DFM telescope, a warmroom containing the instrument control computers, a small office, and a storage area. Adjacent to the main dome is an outdoor observing platform for naked-eye or small telescope viewing. One corner of the platform has a small dome enclosing a permanently mounted 8 inch (20 cm) Schmidt-Cassegrain; this instrument has an H-alpha filter for solar observations.

Observatory uses

Brooks Astronomical Observatory is mainly used for visual observations by university astronomy students and the general public. Monthly public open nights were established in 1976.

The observatory has been used for photoelectric and visual timings of lunar and asteroidal occultations; photometric measures of variable stars, cluster stars, and spectroscopic binaries; and astrometry of minor planets and comets. Staff members also carry out research on the physics of circumstellar disks.

Observational projects using data obtained elsewhere have involved globular cluster variable stars, comet photometry, objective-prism radial velocities, Hubble Space Telescope astrometry, and solar eclipse studies.

Expeditions and consortiums

Expeditions to observe total and annular solar eclipses in North Carolina (USA) took place in 1970, to Nova Scotia (Canada) in 1972, to Mauritania (Africa) in 1973, to North Dakota (USA) in 1979, and to Ohio (USA) in 1994.

The observatory has also participated in the National Undergraduate Research Observatory (NURO) consortium that conducts projects with the Lowell Observatory 31 inch telescope, located at a dark-sky site near Flagstaff, Arizona.

Astronomers

Astronomers that have been on the Central Michigan University faculty and associated with the Brooks Astronomical Observatory include Walter Bisard (1965-2002), John Hackos (1970-1974), Wayne Osborn (1976-present), Gary Wilcox (1980-1981), Dennis Machnick (1984-1988), Dennis Dawson (1987-1988), Glen Williams (1988-present), and Jason Quinn (2006-present), Christopher Tycner (2007-present).

Twelve CMU students have completed master's degrees with a thesis in astronomy.

The Brooks Astronomical Observatory can be reached by using the middle stairwell (near the elevator) to go to the fourth floor of Brooks Hall. The best parking is in Lot 33 off of East Campus Drive. School, scout, and other organized groups are welcome to visit. Please contact the Department of Physics for information.

Department of Physics
Central Michigan University
203 Dow Science Complex
Mount Pleasant, MI 48859

Phone: (989) 774-3321

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