APUS Observatory
This collection brings together a number of photographs taken by the innovative APUS Observatory and features different categories of astronomical images including star clusters, solar system objects, galaxies and nebulae.
The APUS Observatory sits atop the university's Information Technology building on the APUS campus in Charles Town, WV. Since 2015, the observatory has played an integral role in the University's Space Studies program. The 22.5' dome houses a Planewave CDK24 telescope which is equipped with a SBIG STX-16803 CCD camera. The telescope is fully remote-controlled and utilized by faculty and students to perform their original astronomical research and for educational purposes.
Students are able to link remotely to the telescope and work with online faculty to learn how to acquire images of the Moon, stars, and planets that can be downloaded to their computers. The images collected by the telescope are used in the classroom as well as for laboratory instruction by faculty. The telescope is used by graduate students in the Space Studies program to collect original telescopic data for their research and thesis projects. The telescope is scripted to conduct autonomous supernova searches by patrolling dozens of galaxies throughout the night. Primary research conducted by the telescope involves variable star research, exoplanet transit photometry, and supernova searches.
This is an active collection so be sure to check back periodically as more and more images are added to the collection.
For more information about the APUS Observatory and the Space Studies program, visit the APUS Center for Space Studies website.