TITLE: Leitner Observatory and Planetarium

Designed by Roth-Mallard, this 5,214 sf concrete and architectural sheet metal building was acquired by the University in 1972. The Leitner is an astronomical observatory, and is located in Farnham Memorial Gardens. The observatory now includes two Ash domes housing a 16″ RCOS telescope and a refurbished Grubb refractor (originally purchased to observe the 1882 transit of Venus). Detectors include an SBIG ST-9E CCD camera and a DSS-7 spectrograph. There is an observing deck between the domes. The observatory also houses a digital planetarium theater, which uses a Spitz SciDomeHD projection system. The project involved major interior and exterior renovations and the installation of a new flat seam sheet metal dome. Sensitive scientific equipment remained on site during construction.
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