Fluor Provides Technology for Roper Mountain Science Center Observatory
The Roper Mountain Science Center, Superintendent Burke Royster, and representatives from FLUOR held a ceremony to celebrate the re-opening of the Charles E. Daniel Observatory with new technology upgrades provided by Fluor.
The new technology, which includes large LCD displays, iPads and an interactive kiosk showcasing Space Update, will be utilized by students and the public during visits to Roper Mountain. Students will engage in “hands-on” space science utilizing interactive apps to explore the moon, sun, planets and constellations, in the Science Center’s unique learning environment. The large LCD displays will also be used to show images from the telescope.
The Observatory houses a historic 23” refracting telescope. This working telescope, which still utilizes the original 1882 Alvan Clark lens, was originally built for the Halsted Observatory at Princeton University and remained there until 1964. The telescope was installed at Roper Mountain in 1987.
The Observatory was built thanks to the generosity of the Charles E. Daniel family foundation. Mr. Daniel was the founder of Daniel Construction in the 1920’s here in Greenville.
Public visitors can look through the telescope in the Observatory and the see current Planetarium shows which are open to the public every Friday night through November 16th. The “Starry Nights” program will resume each Friday night in January after Holiday Lights.
Roper Mountain Science Center director, Greg Cornwell, said, “This upgrade by FLUOR will enable students and visitors to use the latest technologies in combination with views through the historic telescope to learn about the heavens.”
Roper Mountain Science Center is owned and operated by Greenville County Schools as an educational resource for teachers, students, and families and is located at 402 Roper Mountain Road, Greenville, South Carolina. Check out the Center’s website at www.ropermountain.org for directions to the Center or information about special events and other programs. For further information, please call the center at (864) 355-8900.
For additional information, visit the following website: www.ropermountain.org