Thomas Conway Observatory
The Conway Observatory at dusk during late August 2005. Photo by Chris Brownewell
Nearly six years after it’s conception, the Calumet
Astronomical Society’s Thomas Conway Observatory is nearing completion
at a 40 acre site south of Buckley Homestead County Park outside
Lowell, Indiana. Originally intended for installation at Indiana Dunes
State Park, this 24’ by 18’ roll off roof observatory was built by the
United Steel Workers of America’s institute for Career Development at
Mittal Steel’s Burns Harbor Works. The Conway Observatory, named after
Steelworker leader Thomas Conway, is the latest in a series of
buildings constructed by the Steelworkers as a living laboratory for
construction crafts training. Institute Director John Myers came up
with the idea of building an observatory after experiencing the
enthusiasm and interest expressed in a “Make Your Own Telescope” class
that was taught by long time Society member Jim Seevers. Like previous
buildings that the Steelworkers had constructed, a not for profit donee
for the building was sought. A donation contract was worked out with
the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Indiana Dunes State
Park. The Calumet Astronomical Society was retained by the DNR to
provide programs for the new facility. Construction proceeded rapidly
through 2000 and 2001, with classes in steel residential framing
construction, roofing, plumbing, vinyl siding, flooring and electrical
wiring being among the skills trained during the construction of the
building. Delivery of the building was expected by the end of 2001;
however, budgetary pressures in the DNR prevented it from completing
the necessary site work. This situation continued through mid 2004,
when the DNR announced that it would be unable to cover its share of
the costs at all. An initiative by the Calumet Astronomical Society to
raise funds to cover these costs privately was rejected by the DNR. The
Society sought alternatives, and in early 2005 the Lake County
{Indiana) Parks offered the use of the 40 acre site south of Buckley
Homestead County Park to the Calumet Astronomical Society. The
Steelworkers agreed to donate the building. Generous donations from
local construction companies, Tri-Creek Lumber in Lowell, and a grant
from the Legacy Foundation enabled work to begin immediately. The site,
which was a soybean field at the beginning of August, saw the majority
of construction work finished in time for a dedication ceremony on
Labor Day. Over 90 people attended this ceremony, featuring remarks
from labor leaders, educators, and community officials.
October
2005 saw the construction of the first part of the observatory’s access
ramps. This deck was designed by Tom Pappalardo and built by Calumet
Astronomical Society volunteers. The lumber for this deck was valued at
over $2200.00 and was donated by Tri-Creek Lumber in Lowell, Indiana.
Photo by Chris Brownewell.
The observatory has several unique architectural features. It was designed
from the ground up to be Americans with Disabilities Act compliant,
perhaps the first astronomical observatory ever constructed with this
in mind. It is also of steel residential framing type construction, a
relatively new construction technique where lumber studs are replaced
by steel ones. This results in a structure that has a number of
significant advantages versus traditional construction. It is believed
that this is the only astronomical observatory in the world of this
type of construction. The building was sited on a southward facing
slope, and a lower level added with a walk-out door to a 60’ diameter
concrete patio. It is planned that a sundial sculpture will be placed
at the center of this patio, which will also be used for programs and
for the Society’s 22” F/7 LongEye Dobsonian Telescope, which is stored
in the lower level.
ICD Mittal Burns Harbor Director John Myers addresses the audience at the dedication, Labor Day 2005. The observatory was John’s brainchild, and by the time of it’s completion the observatory will have involved over twenty contributing organizations and companies. Photo by Sandy Basala.
A deeply imbedded concrete anchor in the lower level is topped by a 12”
diameter 10’ tall steel pier fabricated and donated by Hammond Machine
Service. At the top of this is a Pier-Tech 3 tele-pier which can change
the elevation of the equatorially mounted Meade 16” LX200 telescope
over a range of 20” to accommodate observers of different heights and
wheelchair users. This $8000.00 tele-pier has a built in 41½º degree
polar wedge and was paid for by the Friends of the Indiana Dunes and
the DNR. The telescope was paid for by the Institute and the DNR. It
was generously provided at dealer cost by 20/20 Telescopes &
Binoculars of Lansing, Illinois. Meade Instruments also donated over
$1000.00 worth of accessories for this telescope.
Tom
Conway of the United Steelworkers of America examines the Meade 16”
LX200 telescope on display at the dedication ceremony on Labor Day
2005. Organizations that have actively been involved in this project
include The Institute for Career Development Mittal Burns Harbor, The
Indiana Department of Natural Resources, the Calumet Astronomical
Society, the Friends of the Indiana Dunes, the Lake County Parks and
Recreation Department, the Lake Central School Corporation, Purdue
Calumet University, and the Legacy Foundation. Not including the value
of the site, contributions to this project approach $200,000 in value.
Photo by Chris Brownewell.
A system of decks and ramps allows users access to the upper levels of
the observatory. The deck to the west of the observatory allows access
currently to the main entrance via stairs. A concrete anchor has been
provided for a pier which will extend up through this deck for use by
portable SCT type telescopes. Two ramps will be built off the north end
of this deck extending around the roll off roof support piers to the
north of the building. One will extend down to ground level, and the
other will rise up around the east side of the building, ending at a
landing on the south side where there is a “half door” that will allow
direct access to the 4’ raised 14’ by 14’ observing deck. This
observing deck area is exposed to the sky when the roof is rolled back.
An internal stairwell on the west side of the observing deck goes down
to the main level, where a control room and an ADA accessible restroom
are located.
The
roof will be motorized and automated. An electrical winch and pulleys
controlled by an AC motor drive connected to the observatory computer
will make opening and closing the 3800 lb. roof both easy and safe. The
overall design of this observatory was
made with the aim of being able to conduct public viewing programs with
hundreds of visitors being able to look through the telescope in the
course of an evening. Although the equipment available would make
remote robotic operation possible, this was not a design consideration
and it is not anticipated that this observatory will be operated in
this manner. There is plenty of room on the site for more observatories
and Purdue Calumet University is working on a remote robotic
observatory to be co-located at the site. This observatory will likely
feature a Meade 16” RCX400 telescope.
A 40 car stone paved parking lot was put in with the initial
construction, and this will eventually be expanded. A concrete paved
area has been proposed, with electrical power provided, for use by
portable telescopes. A 60’ by 40’ classroom building is also proposed
at this time for the site. The first scheduled public program will be
in March 2006. Further information can be found on the casonline.org event page.
Taken by aviator Tom Pappalardo, this shot shows the observatory site from the air in mid August 2005. The site is 1/4 mile by 1/4 mile in
dimension. The roads in this photo are Chase St., extending to the upper left, and 191st Ave., at the bottom. The diagonal line extending from the site to its lower corner is the excavation for the buried
electrical service line. A trench over 600 feet long and 3 feet deep had to be dug and filled for this. Also visible in this view is the on site road and parking lot, which had not yet been stone paved at the time of this photo.
To get there Click here for a map.
