posted 07-14-2016 11:58 AM               

After 87 years of constant use, first for research and later education, the Pluto Discovery Telescope's lens assembly, mount, and other components need attention. If we don't act now, the telescope's heritage could be lost to future generations.

Some of the work to be done includes testing and fixing the telescope's drive motor and other electronic components; restoring plate holders and control knobs; cleaning plate holders, control knobs, optics, and other parts; and removing, cleaning, and reinstalling the telescope itself.

The restoration team is the same one that recently restored Lowell's magnificent 24-inch Clark Telescope. It consists of five Lowell staff members with expertise in telescope maintenance and restoration, instrumentation, machining, and wood working. These talented individuals estimate the Pluto telescope and dome restoration will take between six and nine months. When the fundraising campaign is finished, the team can begin work.

If we raise extra funds, those funds will be added to the Mars Hill Fund, which helps maintain Lowell Observatory's historic telescopes, including the Pluto Discovery Telescope.