New FIU Astronomy Observatory for the Physics Department

Just before Christmas, the department welcomed a donation of $800,000 from a private donor for a new astronomy observatory. This sum will be matched by the State of Florida gift matching program, and FIU president Mitch Maidique will add an additional match to yeild $2.4 million dollars. These funds will allow us to build a state-of the-art student observatory here on the UP campus, housing a large teaching telescope.  This facility will be used for teaching astronomy at all levels, some advanced astronomy majors research projects, and public outreach efforts. This is a truely major acquisition for the physics department, and it will be one of the best student observatories in the state when it is built.

 

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