Rancher offers a new field of dreams for stargazers

The only light that pierces the night sky above rancher John David Monroe's property comes from small, faint celestial objects. According to maps produced by the Dark Society his land north of Gainesville is devoid of urban glare.

For UNT astronomers, Monroe's property represents the solution to a light intrusion problem from the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex at the current observatory. For the local resident, the land offers an opportunity to contribute to the community.

Monroe, heir to a parcel of the original 1836 Sadler grant in western Cooke County near Moss Lake, donated 13.2 acres of his family ranch to UNT for use as the site of a new state-of-the-art observatory. The land's value, more than $100,000, matched funding from a National Science Foundation undergraduate education grant.

"Because of light pollution, we were at a crucial juncture regarding our current observation capabilities ," says Chris Littler, professor of physics. "Mr. Monroe's generosity occurred at the right time and in the right location. This land lies in the closest recognized dark sky area to Denton."

Instead of a conventional domed roof that provides a small slice of sky, the UNT Monroe Robotic Observatory will incorporate a roll-off roof design that permits several automatic telescopes to provide images of different parts of the sky simultaneously.

The observatory, projected to open in the spring 2002 semester, will be remotely operated and robotically controlled, allowing students to re-create techniques used by professional astronomers. Astronomers normally don't travel to observatories but conduct imaging experiments and astronomical research from laboratory-based computers. From the Denton campus, students will use a web site to turn on the telescopes and collect data and, in the process, explore the age-old mysteries of the universe without the intrusion of city lights.

"I feel a personal connection to the university community," says Monroe, "especially in the areas of physics and the environment." He serves on UNT's capital campaign committee for the College of Arts and Sciences and on the board of UNT's Elm Fork Education Center.

BY CATHERINE CASHIO ccashio@unt.edu

Other featured articles in this issue

• UNT inaugurates 13th president
• Texas Legislature approves bill creating UNT-Dallas
• Community leaders discuss education, workforce issues
• Spring graduation is May 12
• Faculty Senate approves grading change
• UNT to help improve Internet2
• Faculty, staff recognized at Honors Day celebration
• UNT researcher to conduct time-of-day testing on schizophrenia patients
• Staff Council discusses smoking, beautification issues

homepage