The Mission
High Point Scientific’s commitment to growing the public’s interest in space and bringing more people under the night sky has always been at the center of what we do and has been the driving motivation for us to forge a partnership with the Library Telescope Program. Our values of increasing the public’s access to the night sky and providing a gateway to the universe align with one another, and we want to offer libraries across the globe the ability to change lives through astronomy.
With High Point Scientific’s team of passionate astronomy enthusiasts and the guidance of the Library Telescope Program, we are providing a modified Library Program telescope that is patron-ready right out of the box! This essentially eliminates the complex nature of modifying a telescope to meet a library’s needs off the shoulders of the libraries themselves and places it into the hands of trusted professionals. Ultimately, this allows the facilitators to focus on building new connections and expanding access to the night sky!
Library Telescope Modifcations 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 Alginment
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 allows library program facilitators to maintain the telescopes with ease.
Click to Enlarge Image
Simplfied 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.
Click to Enlarge Image
Affixed Zoom
A high-quality optical system is only as good as the eyepiece included. Our Library Telescope offers a great range of magnifications from 22x magnifciation for wide field views of the Moon to 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 offers years of enjoyment.
Click to Enlarge Image
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.
Click to Enlarge Image
The Complete Package
Helpful Graphics: Taking the guess work out of the different magnifications capable, we’ve included a high-visibility vinyl sticker designed to be seen at night using the included Apertura Ember red LED HeadLamp. This graphic is adhered to the mount, bringing ease of use and night sky perspective to your overall 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.
Convienent Bag: For storing the included headlamp, extra batteries, and anything else a library might want to include for their patrons, we’ve included 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 importance of expanding accessibility to the night sky cannot be overstated. Not only can star-gazing build community, broaden horizons, and help introduce people to the world of STEM in a fun and exciting way, but it can ignite a passion for the universe. Providing a vehicle for this expansion and accessibility aligns with High Point Scientific's core goals of coaching and nuturing amatuer astronomers. The Library Telescope is a culmintion of years of experience and the desire to bring the wonders of the universe to the forefront of people's mind.