Renovation of the Campus Observatory

Since 1976, UIS Star Parties have welcomed 50,000 – 100,000 people to the wonders of the universe.  These events are one of the very few *free* science education programs for kids and families in Central Illinois.  We need your support to sustain the program’s excellence.

We are very grateful for the generous gifts from many donors which came together to replace and upgrade the +40-year old deck.  It has inspired us to do to improve the experience and accessibility for our patrons.

Many patrons tell us they remember coming as a child and are now bringing their kids or grandkids. Through your gifts, you have the power help us educate, interest and transform the perspectives of children, youth and adults. Please give generously to sustain this program for future generations.

What we are planning

The Deck (Phase I – **Completed**)

In 2020 we replaced the original Star Party deck on the roof of Brookens Library.  This $150,000 project was made possible by generous community donations.  The COVID-19 pandemic has prevented us from hosting any in-person events.  We will definitely have a grand opening celebration when concerns for the pandemic subside.

Here are some highlights of the new design:

• Uses composite decking materials that meet fire code and minimize maintenance costs.
• Uses existing footings to minimize the cost.
• Move the entrance to the deck to the middle of the north side to allow for better crowd management around small telescopes on the east end of the deck.
• The design for the new Star Parties Deck on the roof of Brookens Library involves bumping out the southwest corner of the deck, providing more space and accommodating future changes to the 14-inch telescope enclosure.
• Move the storage shed off the deck.
• Move the benches closer to the wall, giving more space on the deck.
• Replace the red incandescent lights with dimmable red LED strip lighting mounted under the benches.

The Accessibility and Interior Space (Phase II – **Completed**)

Sunday Night accessible Star Parties are set up to accommodate people who have trouble with steps or use wheelchairs and have been part of our public program for decades.  The ramp up to the roof door is no longer ADA compliant (it is too steep), and the door to the roof is also oddly shaped and set.  Fitting a replacement to the ramp or another solution in the available space will be a challenge, and will probably include moving non-load-bearing walls and reconfiguring the storage space for the observatory.

Through generous support from the community we were able to upgrade the interior space and accessibility ramp at the campus observatory in 2022. The new space has been open since 2023. In addition to using if for Star Parties the new space is also a meeting area for the campus Space & Astronomy group and we have put up whiteboards and screens so that it can be used as a small classroom space.

The 14-inch Telescope Dome (Phase III)

The 14-inch telescope dome has a raised floor accessed via a short vertical ladder.  The single access door for the dome also slows down how fast we can serve large crowds during Star Parties.  The dome itself is iconic, we couldn’t imaging Star Parties without it, so we want to preserve it.

We are re-imagining the telescope enclosure so that it eliminates the ladder climb and has two doors.  We haven’t settled on a design but we are keeping our options open in the design for the new deck.

Estimated cost to renovate the telescope enclosure/dome:  ~$250,000

A Personal Appeal

I’ve been inspired by how Star Parties are thought of in the Springfield area.  Astronomy is truly a charmed profession as almost everyone you meet has at least a little curiosity about what you do.  But I don’t get the same reception from a stranger when I say, “I’m a professor of astronomy at UIS” as if I say, “I’m the UIS Star Party guy.” The reputation of UIS Star Parties in Central Illinois is special.

I remember handing out Halloween treats at my house and a kid who after getting candy just stood there and stared at me.  When the crowd on the door step cleared and the kid was alone I asked, “Are you OK?” The reply was, “You are the Star Party guy!”  It has been a joy helping kids look through the telescope week after week, always with a fresh set of questions.  The adults bringing them tell me about how they know this is important to their kid because it is also important to them.

We want to continue the work started by my predecessor Charlie Schweighauser to provoke and satisfy curiosity and reach more people for the next forty years and beyond.  Our community eternally grateful to you and me for making these opportunities possible for them through UIS Star Parties.

More information

For more information about the planned renovations of the campus observatory please contact John Martin (jmart5@uis.edu, 217/206-8342).