A r o u n d the q ua d
Research Space UNC Asheville Readies Astronomy Laboratory scopes with video cameras will allow viewing of images by observers in the adjoining room.
A $546,000 Astronomy Club of Asheville donation made construction possible, and Lookout Observatory is operated in partnership with the club. The observatory and laboratory features two 14-inch-diameter reflecting telescopes and two smaller companion refracting telescopes that stay in locked focus on the same objects as the larger ones. Equipping the tele-
Professor Brian Dennison installs a telescope in Lookout Observatory.
Luke Bukoski
This brings a twinkle to the eye of Brian Dennison, Glaxo Wellcome Professor and professor of physics. “I’m very excited,” said Dennison. “Introductory students now can look through big telescopes and have that close-up experience of the sky. And for advanced students, having this facility here on campus will make all the difference. They will now have ready
access to capture images and spectra for research on stars, nebulae, galaxies, comets, asteroids, as well as other astronomical objects.”
Luke Bukoski
When Lookout Observatory opens on campus, UNC Asheville students and astronomy buffs in the community will have a way to get better views of the stars in an easily accessible location.
Greenway Granted Community Connection Comes One Step Closer A $200,000 grant from the 2013 Federal Recreational Trails Program, administered by the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation, and a $30,000 grant from the Glass Foundation have enabled UNC Asheville to take the final steps to expand Reed Creek Greenway through property owned by the UNC Asheville Foundation on Broadway Avenue. The project will fill in a missing link in the Reed Creek Greenway, connecting UNC Asheville and Montford with downtown, enabling students and community residents to walk and bike along the creek, removed from traffic on nearby Broadway Avenue. In addition to linking UNC Asheville to the surrounding community, the greenway also links the UNC Asheville Foundation, the City of Asheville, the Montford Neighborhood Association and RiverLink in a partnership that has provided crucial advocacy and fundraising for the project. John Pierce, treasurer of the UNC Asheville Foundation, said, “Our students decided to increase their own fees to help pay for the work, and the City of Asheville and RiverLink have partnered significantly in the fundraising for the project. Montford neighbors, as well, have chipped in with financial contributions and hard work to help clean up the property.”
Students enjoy walking and biking on the greenways around campus.
Spring 2014
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