Night On Fan Mountain

Me on the Mountain!

(From 29 April 2019)

Here are a few photos from our visit to Fan Mountain Observatory on Friday night. Kevin and I drove out for the Observatory's public night and had a great time seeing this UVA facility (just south of Charlottesville) and its three telescopes; the weather wasn't ideal for stargazing (overcast and, um, somewhat breezy) so we enjoyed the demonstrations put on by the University students in attendance and talking to astronomers like Professor Ed Murphy who gave us a private tour of the Rapid Response Robotic Telescope and its control systems (run by SKYNET, oh my!).

The 40" Reflector

A great evening on the Mountain. Funny, I've lived in Virginia for most of my 56 years and never heard of this place. If you get the chance, check it out--you might even catch them on a clear night!

The dome for the Skynet Rapid Response Robotic Telescope

The RRRT in standby mode

Kevin Francis poses with Professor Ed Murphy in the RRRT dome