New telescope in Happy Jack to be unveiled in July
Web Producer: Marissa Pasquet
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) - It's taken a decade to make it, but Lowell Observatory's Discovery Channel Telescope is expected to be completed in time for a July unveiling ceremony.
The opening will be preceded by a prime-time documentary in June that will air on the television channel that has invested $10 million in the $45 million device.
Years of engineering and funding setbacks delayed the opening multiple times. But Lowell Director Jeff Hall says the telescope will be ready to see its first light in the coming months.
The telescope sits 40 miles southeast of Flagstaff in Happy Jack.
Officials say Lowell also purchased a ranch nearby to house an astronomer's dormitory and as a place to host future star parties in conjunction with the Discovery Channel.
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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