Inspire through access
The Library Telescope Program (LTP) is a Missouri-based non-profit organization that aims to inspire curiosity and learning by making the night sky more accessible to everyone, regardless of age, background, or means. Since launching in 2008, the LTP has partnered with over 1,000 libraries across the globe and continues to rapidly expand their initiative.
For more than twenty years, High Point Scientifics’ passionate team has been committed to growing the public’s interest in astronomy and bringing more people together under the night sky. As the largest astronomy retailer in the United States, service and education are the bedrock of our values, allowing our team to continue making the night sky more accessible to everyone.
This shared goal has allowed for a partnership that runs deep and ensures advancement in the accessibility of astronomy. Under the guidance of the LTP, we’ve applied their tried-and-true, library-ready modifications to a telescope, making available a turn-key solution for libraries, their patrons, and others.
Library Telescope Modifications Backed By High Point Scientific's Telescope Experts
Keeping with the values of the Library Telescope Program and utilizing our collective astronomy expertise, our team individually tested, collimated, adjusted, and modified each telescope, ensuring the tried-and-true changes developed by the Library Telescope Program will stand the test of time. Want to learn more? Our team has laid out the most impactful modifications and how they will deliver library facilitators and patrons confidence and enjoyment while searching the night sky!
Robust Optical Alignment
Alignment of the primary and secondary mirrors within any reflecting telescope is a critical component of whether the scope will perform well or not. Traditional reflecting telescopes offer user-adjustable collimation knobs, making it easy to misalign the optics. While this won’t damage the telescope, it certainly will minimize its ability to provide quality views. With the modifications done on the Library Telescope, user-adjustable alignment has been simplified. Instead of using a set of knobs and locking screws, the primary mirror cell now offers a nut and bolt system that allows for stronger/longer lasting alignment and eliminating the need for patrons to adjust collimation themselves and still allowing library program facilitators to maintain the telescopes with ease.
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Simplified Object Locator
Red Dot Finders are often a point of frustration for new and experienced amateur astronomers alike, but with a bit of practice, they offer a fantastic way of navigating the night sky. The Red Dot Finder (RDF) included with the Library Telescope offers a simple and effective way of aligning the telescope to your favorite objects. Our team pre-aligns and affixes the the RDF to the main optical tube, allowing for closer alignment right out of the box. We have ensured the replacement battery compartment is on the top instead of on the bottom, making replacing the batteries easier than ever before.
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Affixed Zoom
A high-quality optical system is only as good as the eyepiece included. The Library Telescope offers a great range of magnifications from a 22x magnification for wide field views of the Moon to a 65x magnification for higher power planetary and star cluster observations. This is achieved using a 7 mm to 21 mm zoom eyepiece with comfortable eye placement the provides a wide field, sharp, high-contrast, and rich colored view. The eyepiece is oriented with the range accessible from the top and affixed to the focuser to ensure it is easy to use, never lost, and can offer years of enjoyment.
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Tethered Dust Caps
To keep the Library Telescope optics clean and safe, the telescope includes three different dust caps. Each is tethered to the telescope, so misplacing them will be a thing of the past. These dust caps encompass a soft case for the entire eyepiece and a main dust cap for the entire front objective. The smaller inner cap has a dual purpose: acting as both a dust cap and offering light reducing abilities. The latter is used for viewing the incredibly bright full moon comfortably.
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The Complete Package
Helpful Graphics: A Moon map showcasing lunar craters, an eyepiece magnification chart putting things into perspective and quick access to resources, the LTP’s thoughtful high-visibility vinyl graphics help ensure a successful night regardless of experience.
Extra Batteries: Nothing is more frustrating than getting ready to view the night sky only to find the included object locator has run out of batteries. Don’t fret! Using a common CR2032 battery, finding replacements will be a breeze and further making this telescope patron-ready.
Convenient Accessory Bag: For storing the included headlamp, extra batteries, and anything else a library might want to include for their patrons, included is a larger, multi-zipper polyvinyl water resistant bag that is wrapped around the base for easy access.
Apertura Red LED Headlamp: Whether a patron is taking the Library Telescope to dark skies or simply staying in their backyard or a park, becoming acclimated to the night sky is a crucial component to enjoying the cosmos. Including a Red LED Headlamp like the Apertura Ember ensures patrons preserve their “night-adjusted” eyes, allowing them to maximize their experience under the stars.
The Library Telescope Program’s commitment to expanding accessibility to the night sky cannot be overstated. With their vast community of volunteers and over 1,000 libraries across the globe, they continue to broaden horizons and help introduce people into the world of STEM in a fun and exciting way, igniting a passion for the universe for years to come. The Library Telescope represents a culmination of experience to develop thoughtful modifications ideal for libraries and their patrons. As a proud partner of the library telescope program, we’re looking forward to continuing to educate, grow, and bring awareness to their organization and our shared goal.