Partnership with QC Astronomical Society Offers Opportunity to Explore More
The future of the St. Ambrose University Menke Observatory is as bright as the stars that shine large – but in minute detail – through the lenses of its powerful telescopes.
St. Ambrose University Professor of Astronomy and Physics Robert Mitchell, PhD, wants to ensure that future.
Located on a 225-acre tract of upland and bottomland forests, grasslands, and wetlands at the Wapsipinicon River Environmental Center in Dixon, Iowa, the Menke facility replaced an observatory that existed on campus before the construction of Lee Lohman Arena in 1983.
Currently, the observatory is housed in two buildings and includes three large telescopes and a classroom. Surrounded by nothing but prairieland virtually devoid of ambient light, the Menke site is an ideal place to observe the stars. But Mitchell wants the observatory to accomplish - and explore - more.
Working with the Quad City Astronomical Society (QCAS), Mitchell is in the midst of a fundraising effort to construct additional buildings large enough to accommodate the Menke's three existing telescopes, plus the QCAS' array of telescopes currently housed in a nearby building.
"We want to merge two observatories into one big observatory. The QCAS is very heavily involved in the project. They have all the technical expertise to maintain the equipment, so as the expansion happens they agree to maintain the equipment and St. Ambrose will maintain the facilities," Mitchell said.
Photo by Ryan Heuer '22
Jeff Struve, president of the QCAS, said the synergy between his organization and the Menke Observatory already exists. It makes good sense to formalize a partnership.
"We've been associated with St. Ambrose for as long as I can remember," Struve said. "We're excited about developing an even closer relationship with St. Ambrose than the one we already enjoy."
Struve said the amount needed to fund the expansion is approximately $150,000. The Astronomical Society is leading the fundraising effort.
From a teaching and research perspective, Mitchell wants to bring the classroom experience to the observatory by adding high-speed Internet service and building research opportunities at the Menke into SAU's summer programming.
"It's all part of the larger STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) initiative," Mitchell added. "It would bring a lot to the classroom and the university, and I think it would help attract new students."
Mitchell's passion for the cosmos is palpable. He shares that passion with anybody willing to look at the planets, stars, constellations, supernovae and meteors dancing above us.
"My favorite thing about astronomy is the little kid who has never seen it all before," Mitchell said. "When I watch a young person looking through a telescope for the first time and see the excitement, I'm back to being 8 years old again."
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