MCCC to Host Open Community Nights in New Observatory and Observation Deck
Feb. 28, 2008, Blue Bell, Pa.— Montgomery County Community College will hold two open community nights in its brand new, state-of-the-art Observatory on March 5 and April 8 from 7:30 -9:30 p.m., weather permitting. The Observatory is located on the third floor of the Advanced Technology Center, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The open community nights are free and are open to the public. Astronomy clubs are encouraged to attend. Attendees are invited to bring their own telescopes to set up on the Observation Deck, or they can observe the night sky using the College’s telescope and equipment. For more information, contact the Division of Mathematics, Science and Technology at 215-641-6445.
Astronomy Professor Peter Bachman and Instructor Kelli Spangler will help attendees navigate the night sky and will provide information on astronomy. Dr. Bachman has more than 30 years of experience teaching astronomy at two- and four-year colleges and universities in the region. He has also held several administrative positions, including Dean of Mathematics and Science. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Villanova University and a master’s degree from Swarthmore College in Astronomy, and he hold a doctorate in Curriculum Development from Pennsylvania State University. Ms. Spangler holds a bachelor’s degree in Astrophysics from Colgate Univeristy and a master’s degree in Physics from Drexel University. She teaches both Physics and Astronomy at the College.
The Observatory and Observation Deck are features of the College’s 60,000 square-foot Advanced Technology Center, which opened for classes in the fall. The Observatory features a 16-inch MEADE Schmidt-Cassegrain research-level telescope and a 90-mm Coronado telescope for safe observation of the sun. All of the instruments are controllable both in the classroom as well as in the Observatory itself. Through a fiber network, images can be downloaded for further study and comparison and can be used in online courses.
In addition to astronomy, the Advanced Technology Center houses high-demand programming in the fields of biotechnology, computer game design, animation, digital audio and video design and geographic information systems. Advanced Technology Center Observatory and Observational Deck
