Methacton School District Gets New Telescope

The Methacton School Board voted to approve a $1,000 donation from the Education Foundation for the Methacton Community (EFMC) on Sept. 18. The donation was earmarked for the purchase of a new telescope that would enhance the district’s Mallon Planetarium programs.

“We’re here to support academic, athletic and arts programs for Methacton School district,” Mark Constable, EFMC president told the board. “And, we want to get the community involved as much as possible so that we can help provide some of the services to the students, so we can help enhance their programs.”

According to Constable, the Colorcon Corporation, an international pharmaceutical company with operations in Harleysville, made the donation through the district’s Starbright program. The program provides tax-credit incentives to businesses for the benefit of the district’s planetarium programs.

How a School District becomes an Observatory

Ted Williams, Mallon Planetarium director, explained to the board how important the telescope acquisition would prove to be for the district.

“Don’t go thinking it was just a telescope,” Williams said. “In fact, because of our location, we now have a small observatory.

Williams explained the new telescope will sit outside the district’s planetarium, located on the grounds of Arcola Middle School, which, in turn, sits on one of the highest bluffs in Montgomery County.

“We get to see 60-percent of the Milky Way across our sky on a nice, clear night,” Williams said with enthusiasm.

According to Williams, students from across the district utilize the planetarium, citing at least 45 class visits from students in grades 1 – 8 each year. He adds that high school visits have been sporadic, however, more regular evening programs are in the works for high school students, and will be spurred on because of the telescope.

The Mallon Planetarium also has regular community stargazing events.

Williams said the telescope, a SkyQuest Intelliscope, will be displayed with its lens covers off, so that visiting students to the Mallon Planetarium can have access to it. He also explained some of the telescope’s features include a 14,000 object data base, which can guide users to correct destinations of celestial objects.

Williams also serves at the Fels Planetarium in the Franklin Institute, as well as with Rittenhouse Astronomical Society, one of the oldest astronomical societies in the nation.

According to Williams, since the school district now has such a telescope in its possession, the Rittenhouse Astronomical Society may be interested in helping with planetarium programs or viewing events.

Constable, who noted that the planetarium was constructed in the early 1970s, credits Williams in keeping visitors interested in the universe above.

“He’s found creative ways to keep the students involved, think creatively, think critically, and love to come to the planetarium,” Constable said.

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For more information, visit the Mallon Planetarium website.

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