CLINTON – The Twin City Amateur Astronomers (TCAA) last week donated a 4.5-inch aperture Zhumell reflecting telescope on a Dobsonian mount to the Vespasian Warner Public Library.
The donation, valued at approximately $500, was made possible through a grant from the Astronomical League, an international organization supporting amateur astronomy with over 10,000 members, with support from the TCAA.
The donation aims to provide young astronomy enthusiasts access to a quality telescope, enabling them to explore the night sky. The Warner Public Library was chosen because it does not yet have a loaner telescope, and due to the strong local interest in astronomy, as demonstrated by the popular Weldon Springs State Park programs.
The donation is part of the Astronomical League’s Library Telescope Program, a national initiative that has placed over 40 telescopes in libraries across Illinois and many hundreds more nationwide. The program seeks to make astronomy accessible to the public by equipping libraries with easy-to-use telescopes for patrons young and old to check out, much like a book.
“We want to make stargazing accessible to everyone, especially young minds eager to learn but without the means to own a telescope,” said TCAA Vice President Meredith Barkhurst. “This initiative aligns with the TCAA’s mission of fostering public knowledge and appreciation of the night sky.”
