Shared Skies Star Dome and Lili Garden at Moore Observatory
Our Star Dome is named in remembrance of a wonderful mare who lived most of her life at Hidden Hollow Orchard in nearby Pewee Valley, Kentucky. Her companion in retirement was Lili of Seabrook Valley who came to Kentucky from Virginia. In their youth, Star and Lili taught young and old riders about horses and life, and their telescope is here to teach everyone about the sky. The surrounding lilly garden blooms in the spring. The dome and telescope are powered by a solar panel seen to the side. The armillary sundial was relocated from the garden of the Rauch planetarium upon its permanent closure in 2026.
The Takahashi FSQ-106ED seen here is a flat-field super Petzval quadruplet astrograph with low-dispersion elements for high order color correction. With an effective aperture of 106 mm, a focal length of 530 mm, and an f/5 focal ratio it resolves 1.1 seconds of arc over an 88 mm diameter image field. At low magnification it provides visual observers with a stunning 4-degree view of the occasional comet, and Messier's list of star clusters, nebulae and galaxies. At higher magnification, its optical quality delivers a "sense of presence" at the Moon, Saturn, Jupiter and Venus. A safe full-aperture solar filter is used for similar daytime viewing of the Sun and its spots.
The telescope is mounted on a Software Bisque Paramount modified to incorporate a Sidereal Technologies telescope drive system. While also excellent for digital imaging and capable of handling other instruments should the need arise, this versatile mount and with modern drive electronics is easy to use for visual observing in the limited space of this dome.