 The
Middlebrook Observatory is a wonderful community resource that is located on the
grounds of Middlebrook school. It is home to the Middlebrook Explorers (astronomy
club for 4th and 5th grade students at Middlebrook), the site of monthly community
observation sessions, and an educational resource for local organizations wanting
to explore the nighttime sky.
The observatory was established in the
mid 1960s, but fell into disrepair soon after Middlebrook Junior High gave way
to Middlebrook Elementary School. In 1997 Mr. Steve Lemoine, a 5th grade teacher
at the school, spearheaded an effort to bring the observatory up to operational
status once again. After much cooperation and help from the school district's
maintenance department (Director Don Walsh), and support through grant money from
the Trumbull Technology Foundation, the observatory became funcational once again.
The sliding roof has always been the weak link in the operability of
the observatory. You couldn't always count on it to function properly. Without
a functional sliding roof, the telescope could not be exposed to the sky for observations.
The Middlebrook Father's Club came to the rescue in the 2004-05 school year raising
$10,000 to replace the roof with an electrically operated fiberglass dome. Volunteers
from the Father's Club spent countless hours in the Fall of 2005 rebuilding the
roof structure and installing the dome. In April of 2006, rededication of the
newly refurbished observatory took place.
Future plans call for bringing
the telescope online via the Internet, installing LCD monitors in the observatory,
and establishing a Trumbull Astronomical Society for adult enthusiasts. The facility
does not have an operating budget, but gets its funding through grants and money
raised by such organizations such as the Middlebrook Father's Club, Middlebrook
PTA, and Middlebrook Student Council.
The observatory is open to the
public the last Friday of the Month at 7:00 PM, from October through April. From
May through September, due to daylight savings time, monthly public events are
scheduled at various times. Consult Trumbull Educational Access Channel 17, flyers
distributed in the main branch of the Trumbull Library, the Middlebrook school
office (452-4411), and the Trumbull Times for dates and times. Organizations are
welcomed. Call the school office and ask for Mr. Lemoine or e-mail at S_Lemoine@sbcglobal.net.
Photos of our Sun and Moon
taken through the
Middlebrook Observatory
telescope.
(Above
& Left) | | | | | |
| 
