Big telescope working again

Tomi Brunton Associate Editor

The largest telescope in the AACC observatory is up and running again after breaking down about a year ago.

The lens, which has a diameter of 14 inches, was inoperable because of a broken gearbox in the mount, which prevented it from aligning with objects in the sky.

The roof of the observatory on East Campus also was repaired after being unable to open for about three weeks.

“The 14-inch coming back ... will definitely improve the experience for anyone taking an astronomy class,” second-year astronomy and physics student Zoe Brunton said.

The telescope’s diameter is three inches more than the next-largest in the AACC observatory, which houses five other telescopes.

Professors use the telescope for astronomy labs, and the student Super Science Club uses it for “star parties.” governments, and from tuition and student fees. The 2024 budget requests 40% from the county and 33% from the state, and assigns student fees and tuition to fund the rest.

A statement to Campus Current from Gov. Wes Moore’s office said, “Governor Moore’s proposed budget includes historic investments in education, including a record $393 million for Maryland’s ... local community colleges.”

In February 2022, the Board of Trustees raised tuition by $2 per credit hour for the current fiscal year.

The $4-per-credit-hour increase will cost full-time students—who take 30 credits per year—$120 a year, according to Beardmore. That will bring a fulltime, in-county student’s tuition and fees, excluding lab fees, from $4,460 to $4,580 per year.

AACC’s Board of Trustees voted to increase tuition and fees for next semester. Shown, the Board of Trustees in a budget workshop on Feb. 21.

AACC President Dawn Lindsay forwarded the budget proposal to the Anne Arundel County executive, who will share it with the County Council. Finally,

Moore must sign off on the state’s contribution.

First-year transfer studies student Omar Hassan said a tuition and fees increase is fine as long as it is “something that is actually benefiting people and clubs.”

But second-year kinesiology student Travis Peach disagreed, saying, “It sucks.” Associate Editor Tomi Brunton contributed to this article.

Brunton, who does social media for the club, said the large telescope “lets AACC take observing to a whole new level. You can see so much more. You can see so