Glendale Community College Observatory
Autonomous.
Optimized.
Next-generation.
Sea West built an observatory at Glendale Community College to expand their astronomy and physics programs.
About the observatory
Glendale Community College (GCC) in Glendale, CA, has an active astronomy and physics department which makes use of a new observatory for student and faculty-led research. GCC received funds as part of a STEM grant to build an on-campus observatory. The observatory allows students to perform research and gain hands-on experience using telescope equipment.
Telescope
Celestron C14 Edge HD
Dome
7.5′ Astro Haven
Camera
ZWO ASI183MM monochrome
Research
Public Outreach
Software Automation
Project Scope
Looking to expand the capability of their astronomy and physics department, GCC wanted a larger aperture telescope to use for photometry that would be permanently mounted inside a dome. Ease of use was a primary concern when discussing the observatory and as a result GCC contacted Sea West to install their observatory. In 2023, Sea West installed a new 7.5’ Astro Haven dome and partnered with Celestron to install the C14 Edge HD telescope along with a monochrome imaging camera for photometry. This new observatory allows students at GCC to more easily begin an observing session without having to manually set up equipment each night.
PARTNERS
Balian Architects designed the project then Sea West partnered with Celestron and Astro Haven to build the project. Chris Hendren and Eric Kopit from Celestron were brought in to install the Celestron C14 system and train the GCC staff. The telescope was outfitted with a ZWO ASI183MM monochrome camera, filter wheel, and SLOAN photometric filters. This allows astrophotography research to be conducted by students and faculty. Sea West recently partnered with Celestron and looks forward to working hand-in-hand with them on future projects.
