One of the largest telescopes in the region reopened to the public March 13 after being out of commission for several months at the Liberty University Astronomical Observatory.
The 24-inch custom-built telescope, which sits inside a large rotating dome, has been housed at the observatory since 2014 and performed to full capacity until it began malfunctioning in October 2024.
Timothy Marshall, an associate professor of physics at Liberty, supervises the observatory which is managed by the mathematics department.
“The telescope had an issue with the interface card that controls how the telescope has a declination and also the rotation in this direction as well,” Marshall said. “So that interface card is controlling these motors, and it doesn’t understand that the telescope is pointed directly upwards.”
The temporary unavailability of the telescope left observatory employees without a crucial routine element of presenting the wonders of the universe to guests.
During the downtime, guests were able to utilize two eight-inch telescopes to view planets and nebulae instead.
Additionally, employees at the observatory provide a classroom presentation using a universe simulation application called SpaceEngine that further showcases the wonder of God’s work. Guests normally finish their visit to the observatory by entering into the rotating dome that houses the 24-inch telescope which allows for closer and more detailed views.
In order to fix the telescope Mashall said they just needed a new interface card, which they received quickly. However, what took the longest was waiting on a technician to have availability to install the new part.
In a Facebook post on March 18 the observatory officially announced the telescope was fixed and would be incorporated back into guest visits once again.
“It’s a research-grade telescope and so we hope to expand into being able to do research one day so we’re going to keep it operational for that purpose,” Marshall said.
The Liberty Observatory has offered free hourly guided tours since its opening in 2013 and remains committed to providing guests with an informative experience of the night sky. Opening times depend on the season. The observatory closes at 11 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays, but it remains open until 12 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Registration and information on how to get to the observatory can be found at www.liberty.edu/arts-sciences/mathematics/astronomical-observatory/.
Davis is a news reporter for the Liberty Champion.