We have had a few speakers over the years give presentations on their telescope loaner programs (Ann Arbor, Kalamazoo), but we were never able to get the idea off the ground. The Director of Abrams Plantarium, Shannon Schmoll, purchased a number of 4 inch Starblast dobsonian telescopes to give to the Capital Area District Library for their "Library of Things" program. A few of us volunteered to get the scopes ready for circulation- we collimated the mirrors and placed a rubber cap over the mirror cell so the adjustment screws are protected. Shannon and staff also purchased a high quality Celestron zoom eyepieces for each scope, which we glued into the holder (less pieces to misplace). We wanted the scopes to be as easy to use and the zoom eyepiece will allow low power wide views along with more magnification when needed. Demo's will be given at the library throughout the year to show patrons how to use the scopes and to answer questions.
Look for the telescopes in the first part of 2019 to be ready for check out!
Thanks to the Abrams Planetarium Staff for making this amazing donation to the Lansing Area!
