Tag: astronomy

Metersticks

Posted on by Brian Garthwaite
Three metersticks
Various vintages.

In our Physics & Astronomy labs, we use metersticks with great frequency. Often for measurements, sometimes to approximate distances that make the arithmetic easier, and occasionally as a handy tool for pointing to the projector screen.

They aren’t super-high precision any more than the rulers you remember from elementary school, and for that we have other tools. Sometimes, as you can see above, the years have warped and twisted things a bit. We adjust.

As you might expect, they offer metric distances on one side, inches and feet on the other. The best ones – the oldest set – were long ago painted black to conceal those SAE units. Clearly, someone grew weary of students measuring everything in inches and then complaining that the math wasn’t working out right.

Small Radio Telescope

Posted on by Brian Garthwaite
Satellite dish radio telescope viewed through window
Ah, daytime astronomy.

At the Observatory, we have a well-loved Small Radio Telescope, an older version of the one available from MIT’s Haystack Observatory. It’s an educational tool, suitable for undergraduates, which offers one charming advantage over our other, visual telescopes:

You can operate it comfortably from the climate-controlled building interior, conducting your radio observations in almost any weather.

Post Holder

Posted on by Brian Garthwaite
Old optics rail post holder, dated 1-29-09
A Cenco classic

It can be a real pleasure to find old objects lying around, with their dates of acquisition marked on the side. January 29th, ’09!

Which ’09, exactly?

Yup, still in Olin 269

Olin Science Building was constructed in 1954, so it’s doubtful this particular post holder dates back to 1909. Especially as the lettering on both sides matches up.

So we were still purchasing equipment for the old, cast-iron optics rails as recently as 15 years ago? Wow.

Construction Photo

Posted on by Brian Garthwaite
Aerial photograph of the Observatory construction, 1963
1963: a quiet corner of campus.

Six decades ago, there wasn’t much on the south end of campus, making it an ideal place for the new Observatory. Relatively calm, not much to block the view, and few sources of nearby light pollution. A lot can change in that time.

Today’s maples and oaks – not pictured, because they were maybe saplings? – are now large enough that they block some low areas of observation and are losing limbs due to disease and age. The stadium has been wreathed by parking lots and festooned with high-intensity lights. Campus buildings have crept southward, surrounding the site. Lewisburg and its surroundings have developed, installed more nighttime lighting, and the sky has grown brighter, obscuring more of the night sky.

Clouds, however: they’re here as much as they ever were. Oh, central Pennsylvania.

Copper-coated

Posted on by Brian Garthwaite
Shiny!

Copper-coated steel BBs, used in several different labs throughout physics and astronomy. Like many of the odds and ends we use for labs and demonstrations, these aren’t used as intended by the manufacturer. In this case, one can only imagine that off-label use is actually safer.