A telescope of the University of Groningen observatory, the RuG, was placed in the Lauwersmeer area on Wednesday. The foundation was laid last summer. That reports RTV Northeast Friesland.
The observatory already has a telescope in use on the Zernike Campus. However, people at this location are hindered by the many artificial light. The new telescope will be located in the Dark Sky Park Lauwersmeer. The observatory calls it the perfect place for a telescope. The placement is done in close consultation with Staatsbosbeheer. The dome is placed near the Lauwersnest activity center. In the coming years, the intention is to maintain the cooperation between the two organizations through various activities.
The new observatory costs 40,000 euros. The Gratema Foundation provided a grant of 25,000 euros, the remainder being financed by the University of Groningen. The telescope will be tested and the software installed in the coming months. It is expected that the first observations can be made next winter. The students of the Kapteyn Institute do not necessarily have to go to the Lauwersmeer area for this. By means of a high-quality connection, the telescope can be operated from a distance, for example from the Zernike Campus.
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