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Posts Tagged 'observatories'

ScopeDome: Educational observatory for a Romanian secondary school

May 22 2018, Marcus Schenk

Virgin forests, vast landscapes and fantastic views. And right in the middle of it: a brand-new observatory for a school. Our latest dome project takes us to Romania to the town of Baia Mare.

This mining town is situated in the north of Romania on the edge of the East Carpathian Mountains. To find out why this observatory is so special to us, read this article.

Sternwarte in Rumänien

The dream project: Observatories

Astroshop along with  ScopeDome GmbH built a 3-m observatory upon a secondary school. This school is to serve as an example, considering school observatories are rare in the country. Romania is still comparably poor, and schools don’t usually have money for this kind of project.

But this is what we’re particularly proud of: Our Romanian colleague, Raul, took part personally in this observatory, was a supporter and one of the sponsors. The project finally became a reality.

Die Basis des Observatoriums

3-m ScopeDome on the roof

The dome is placed on the school building perfectly framed on an observation platform. The panoramic view is amazing. The observatory will be operational soon and will easily enable the school pupils to become familiar with astronomy. Laying, hopefully, the foundation for a life-long fascination with the Universe.

Die ScopeDome Kuppel mit Tür

Der geöffnete Kuppelspalt

The internal workings of the observatory

While a few observers are already focused on the night sky, the tour then goes into the dome. The highlight: A Celestron C8 with a Skywatcher EQ-8 mount on a column. The project was initiated by Prof. Lucian Stoyan. The observatory is now ready, and the pupils are looking forward to interesting observation sessions and exciting astronomy projects. They are, however, also looking to the near future: Next year, the Celestron C8 will be exchanged for a 14-inch RC telescope. Another dream that is about to come true.

Das Teleskop im Inneren der Sternwarte

The city of Baia Mare

Baia Mare is in northern Romania – a place of 124,000 inhabitants  on the edge of the Eastern Carpathian Mountains. Many official buildings have been renovated, but there are many old and crumbling buildings. Surrounded by the Carpathian Mountains, Baia Mare is considered one of the most picturesque places in Romania.

Das Observatorium auf dem Schulgebäude

PS: Do you have such a dream, too? An observatory with a fixed telescope – which means astronomy at any time, and on the fly. Manual or fully automatic with remote control: We can make your dreams become reality, too. Simply contact us and, we’ll be pleased to have a chat with you.

NexDome: Observatories for unbeatable prices!

August 29 2016, Stefan Taube

The Hit Product of the Year 2016:

The Canadian manufacturer NexDome has launched a revolutionary design of observatory domes. The highlight is the modular design with two essential benefits: Low transport costs and easy installation in just a few hours. Never before has a top-class observatory been so affordable!

NexDome_1

Astroshop.eu is the distributor for NexDome in Europe. From our warehouse, we deliver inside Germany for only 60 Euro and within Europe for just 150 Euro. You can, obviously, also benefit from our consultancy and service of NexDome Observatories.

The advantages at a glance:

Space for a C14 with unrestricted view to the zenith.

Space for a C14 with unrestricted view to the zenith.

 

  • The internal diameter of 2.2 meters provides sufficient space for a 14-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain or a refractor with a focal length of 1400 millimetres.
  • The shutter can be opened far beyond the zenith.
  • Due to its light weight, being made of ABS-plastic parts, the cupola can be turned by hand, but can also be motorized for a reasonable price. Matching motors and controls are available from us.
  • You can freely choose the number of nooks for accessories. Up to six of such compartments are possible and provide a lot of storage space!
  • Should a part of the observatory become damaged, it can be individually replaced at a reasonable price, thanks to the modular design.
  • The Solarkote® coating protects against UV-radiation and ensures excellent weather resistance of all parts.

All ABS-parts are covered by a 5 year warranty! You can find further information about NexDome observatories here at Astroshop.eu.