Sky & Telescope - March 2019 - 66

Muddy Run Observatory

facility. The company invested more than $300,000 to build
the observatory, and Exelon will continue to provide annual
ﬁnancial support for the foreseeable future.
Construction began in April 2016. The amphitheater,
large screen, and landscaping were completed by August. The
project was then delayed for many months because the original dome manufacturer failed to deliver on its promises. The
RAS turned to Ash-Dome in Illinois, which installed two
domes in July 2017, just in time for a solar eclipse party on
August 21st. The Muddy Run Observatory ofﬁcially opened
about two months later.
For equipment, Ryan decided to install two 14-inch scopes:
a Celestron EdgeHD SCT and a PlaneWave instrument
featuring a modiﬁed Dall-Kirkham design. Ryan chose the
14-inch EdgeHD scope because it's a popular model for public
observatories. The team uses a MallinCam Xterminator video
camera to take images, which can be projected onto the large
outdoor screen for public viewing. And with the EdgeHD's
ﬂat ﬁeld, there are no distorted stars from center to edge. The
astronomers can also transmit images from a piggybacked
60-mm Lunt solar scope. They can employ ZWO color and
monochrome video cameras with either scope or with an
80-mm refractor piggybacked onto a 9.25-inch Celestron
EdgeHD scope.
For the other dome, Ryan wanted a telescope more suited
for research. "The Dall-Kirkham design, engineering, and

SHOW TIME While observing under dark skies is the
big draw for Muddy Run, even cloudy nights offer
quality programming. Members of the Rittenhouse
Astronomical Club, the Harford County Astronomical
Society in Maryland, and the Astronomy Enthusiasts
of Lancaster County provide equipment and support
for the observatory, as do volunteers from nearby
colleges and universities.

M A RCH 2 019 * SK Y & TELESCOPE

The observatory is a godsend for the
RAS, which is based in the severely
light-polluted environment of one of
America's largest cities.
reputation seemed to ﬁt the bill for the skies we have at this
location," he explains.
The PlaneWave scope has built-in heaters and coolers for
the primary and secondary mirrors, preventing dew formation. The scope also comes equipped with an electronic
focuser that is regulated by changes in ambient temperature.
The team has attached other equipment to the scope: an SBIG
AO-X adaptive optics unit, an SBIG self-guided ﬁlter wheel
with LRGB and narrowband ﬁlters, and an SBIG SXTL 16200
monochrome camera.
The RAS has assumed the primary role of running the
observatory, but it receives considerable assistance from the
Astronomy Enthusiasts of Lancaster County (AELC) and the
Harford County Astronomical Society in Maryland, whose
members helped install the equipment. Whereas most RAS
members have to drive 90 minutes or longer to reach Muddy
Run, these other clubs are considerably closer. All three clubs
now beneﬁt from having a private, dark observing site with
two excellent telescopes.

Sky & Telescope - March 2019

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