See the observatory that is being installed in the Bronx this spring
The New York City Department of Parks & Recreation and the Amateur Astronomers Association have just announced their plans to install a small aluminum observatory at Jerome Park near the Bronx High School of Science in an effort to open the city’s very “first fully public stargazing facility,” Gothamist reports.
Although the structure will be relatively compact, it will also feature an 800-pound dome that was found on top of a Nassau Community College building on Long Island for more than 40 years. In 2019, the school opted to replace the cupola with a green roof and six open-air telescopes.
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The solar-powered observatory is 9.5 feet high and 6.5 feet wide, so two or three people can fit inside of it at once. It will also boast exterior screens that will project the telescope’s view for folks outside of the complex to see.
The Amateur Astronomers Association has pledged to fund, maintain and operate the structure, which will be open to the public every night of the week free of charge. Students at the nearby Bronx Science will get exclusive access during the school day for special programs.
What’s more, the installation will bring along with it a new 130-foot-long ADA-accessible ramp, a 14-foot pavilion for visitors and a bunch of new trees, all provided by the Amateur Astronomers Association.
According to Gothamist, there are plans to break ground in March and construction should be completed within a month.