The Orion telescope that will be available for library loan.
The Lincoln Public Library has loaned out items other than books for quite a while — CDs and videos, Kindles, and gadgets from its Library of Things — but now it has a telescope residents can borrow.
Orion Telescopes and Binoculars has partnered with the Cornerstones of Science STAR (Sharing Telescopes and Astronomical Resources) program to provide Orion StarBlast 4.5-inch reflector tabletop telescopes affordably to libraries throughout the United States. Funding was also provided by Mathworks, Inc.
The Aldrich Astronomical Society obtained the instrument and provided instruction on its use to library staff. The group made the telescope easier to use by clearly marking parts of the telescope that can be adjusted are clearly marked and also created step-by-step instructions on how to use it.
The library is hosting a series of astronomy-related programs this fall to complement the new offering. If there’s sufficient interest, the library may expand the astronomy programming and perhaps form a club. Programs are suitable for anyone 10 and up. All programs are on Wednesday evenings at 7 p.m.
An Introduction to the Telescope and Observing the Night Sky
September 18
John Root of the Aldrich Astronomical Society will give a presentation about astronomy and observing the night sky with a telescope, as well as background on his organization. Following his talk, a member of the library staff will explain what you need in order to check out our telescope.
Let’s Tour the Universe with World Wide Telescope
October 30
Library Trustee Dennis Picker will give a presentation covering a free online resource called World Wide Telescope (WWT). Thousands of images of regions of the universe are accessible for viewing via a simple web browser interface. WWT allows you to explore any corner of the universe you want, zooming thousands of light years away from Earth at the speed of a mouse click. You can pilot your own tour or sit back and watch one of the many tours contributed by both professional and amateur astronomers. Once you learn how to use it, you have a planetarium sky show available on your desktop.
Let’s Do Galaxy Zoo
November 21
Galaxy Zoo is an online amateur science project that has been running for over 10 years that aims to help professional astronomers understand how galaxies form and evolve. In this project, amateurs view images from a database containing hundreds of thousands of galaxies and use simple criteria to classify those galaxies in various ways. In addition to contributing to fundamental research and gaining insights into how science is done, you can see a stunning collection of images of exotic galaxies.
To borrow the telescope, residents must be 18 or older and a Lincoln Public Library cardholder in good standing no fines over $10.00. Borrowers must sign a borrowing agreement which sets out the cost of the telescope parts and general borrowing rules. The telescope must be returned in person to the reference desk within two weeks.