THE UNIVERSE WITHIN REACH
Partnership with the U.S. Air Force Academy brings new astronomy research and educational opportunities to the Grand Valley
BY DENNIS TAYLOR
A hilltop in Whitewater, about 30 miles from Grand Junction, is now home to a world-class observatory with a researchgrade telescope that is capable of working with other telescopes from around the world. These telescopes work in conjunction to provide continuous observations of objects in space.
The Grand Mesa Observatory is one of four Colorado locations, one near each corner of the state, chosen by the United States Air Force Academy to be part of its Falcon Telescope Network. The project includes 12 research-grade telescopes at strategic locations around the world, including Australia and Chile, that gather data about objects in the stratosphere and far beyond our planet.
As a part of this project, the Air Force supplies a telescope to a partnering institution if the institution provides the building and infrastructure.
The Grand Mesa Observatory telescope is used by CMU students and faculty, as well as stargazers around the world, to study deep space from a computer screen. The halfmeter-size telescopes are best suited for observing satellites — from lower-orbiting satellites like the International Space Station to deep-space satellites such as the one used by Sirius XM Radio.
The ability to study a satellite simultaneously from more than one location greatly enhances the amount of information that can be obtained, explained U.S. Air Force Academy Physics Professor Francis Chun, PhD, who is also the head of the Falcon Telescope Network.