Sky & Telescope - March 2019 - 62

MUDDY RUN OBSERVATORY

by Robert Naeye

M A P: FREE V ECTO R M A PS.C O M

rowing up in the 1960s in Daytona Beach, Florida,
Alfred "Al" Ryan watched NASA rockets climb above
the horizon and head toward the stars. This was the
dawn of the Space Age, when almost anything seemed possible. For Ryan, NASA kindled a passion for astronomy that
waxed and waned but never vanished. These early launches
initiated a chain of events in Ryan's life that culminated in
October 2017 when the Muddy Run Observatory opened its
doors to the public.
This high-tech amateur facility in southeastern Pennsylvania represents an innovative partnership between a
large corporation and three astronomy clubs. The company
provided the funding to make the observatory possible. The
clubs fulﬁ ll the company's vision by hosting stargazing sessions that draw hundreds of visitors. The amateurs are now
readying Muddy Run's two 14-inch telescopes for scientiﬁc
research, and they plan to make them available to citizen
scientists around the world.
As one of Muddy Run's founding fathers, Ryan selected
the location and much of its equipment. But the observatory's origins date back decades earlier to his childhood
fascination for the stars.
Ryan started observing through telescopes in grade school,
hanging out with friends who shared his interest. But he
decided to go in another direction for his career, earning a
law degree from the University of Florida in 1976. He trained
and practiced as a trial lawyer before entering public service,
moving up the ladder until he attained the lofty position
of chief environmental
attorney for the State of
Illinois. Despite focusing
on his career, he mainPhiladelphia
tained his interest in
astronomy. He built his
Muddy Run Park
own telescope and ground
its 4-inch mirror at Chip SHORT DRIVE FROM THE CITY
cago's Adler Planetarium.
Muddy Run Recreation Park is about
After leaving state
15 miles south of Lancaster, Penngovernment,
Ryan pracsylvania. The observatory stands
ticed corporate law for
near the Muddy Run Reservoir, which
feeds into the Susquehanna River.
ﬁve years, then started
his own law ﬁrm in
Chicago. He enjoyed the freedom that came with company
ownership, but his income varied widely from year to year.
With two daughters to raise and educate, his wife Barbara
Siegel encouraged him to seek a position that would provide
more ﬁnancial stability. In 1998 Ryan accepted a job offer
from the Philadelphia Electric Company, which subsequently
merged with a Chicago utility. The new ﬁrm, Exelon, is one
of America's largest energy providers.
The younger of Ryan's two daughters, Layla, followed in
his footsteps by developing an interest in astronomy. But
unlike her father, she pursed it as a possible career, majoring
in astrophysics at the University of Illinois. Layla motivated
her father to raise his interest in astronomy to the next level.
M A RCH 2 019 * SK Y & TELESCOPE

DARK SKIES OVER LANCASTER
Photographer Jeff Moreau captured
this stellar view at a recent "Evening
Under the Stars" open house at Muddy
Run Observatory. The 152-second
exposure was shot with a Sony α7 II
on an iOptron SkyTracker Pro mount at
16-mm, f/5.6, and ISO 1600.

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