The Mehalso Observatory

The new Mehalso Observatory at Penn State Behrend was made possible by a gift from alumnus Dr. Robert Mehalso and his wife, Elizabeth.

The observatory features an 18-cm Meade refractor equipped with computer control and a CCD camera, in a new 14-ft diameter Ash dome. The new dome is located behind the Otto Behrend Science Building, about 50 feet from the existing 10-foot diameter dome. The latter has been refitted with a Meade 12-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.

The two instruments provide opportunities for classroom use, viewing by the public in Behrend's popular Open House Nights in Astronomy, and undergraduate research for Behrend science students.

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CCD Image of Messier crater on the Moon taken with the new Mehalso Refractor	Image of the planet Jupiter and three of its moons taken March 20, 2001, at 8:30 p.m. EST	The spiral galaxy NGC 5194 (M51) and its irregular companion NGC 5195.
M13 - A globular cluster in the Milky Way consisting of stars 12-14 billion years old	M57 - The Ring Nebula	M82 - A Starburst Galaxy
M16 - Pillars and Star Formation	M27 - A Planetary Nebula	Pluto 7/31/02
M15 - A Globular Cluster	10-30-03	October 2004 Lunar Eclipse
October 2004 Lunar Eclipse	M27
The astronomical images were obtained at the Mehalso Observatory with SBIG STV video and Meade DSI cameras by Leann Bartomioli, John Cooney, Gavin Gabreski, David Greco, Elizabeth Hall, Jonathan Hall, Roger Knacke, Andrew Lloyd, Alex Mooney, Charles Moore, Kevin Schlaufman, John Shearer, and Darren Williams.