The Oakley Southern Sky Observatory, which started operations in 2007, has a single 20-inch Richey-Chretien telescope in a roll-off roof building in New South Wales, Australia. The site was chosen for its clear, dark skies and location in the southern hemisphere.
In conjunction with our on-campus observatory, the Southern Sky Observatory gives our students and faculty nearly 24-hour access to astronomical events in the northern and southern hemispheres. This has allowed students to identify new asteroids, measure asteroid rotation periods and conduct research in variable star photometry searching for supernovae and comets.
Like the campus observatory, the Southern Sky Observatory was made possible by a gift from the Oakley Foundation. Additional equipment purchases have been supported by the National Science Foundation, Rose-Hulman Student Government Association and several alumni, including longtime contributors Gene Glass, a 1949 graduate, along with Niles Noblitt, a 1973 graduate, and his wife, Nancy. All have asteroids named to recognize and honor their support of the Rose-Hulman observatories.
Rose-Hulman gratefully acknowledges Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network for providing internet access.
To see what’s happening at our Southern Sky Observatory, visit http://osso.rose-hulman.edu/index.asp.
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