By Robin Ferruggia

Amateur astronomer Mike Connolly, his wife Carole and daughter Michele are turning their dream of a community observatory into reality.

A short ceremonial groundbreaking for the planned Estes Park Memorial Observatory is scheduled for Friday, June 30 at 2 p.m. at the observatory site behind the high school. Several speakers will give short presentations. They include Town Trustee Bill Pinkham, school superintendent Linda Chapman, Annie Frederick, a recent graduate of Estes Park High School, local astronomers Steve and Irene Little, Mike and Michele Connolly.

Plans call for the observatory to be ready for the 2007-2008 school year. A 12-inch computerized telescope and several smaller telescopes will be housed in a 60 by 40 foot pre-engineered metal building including a 40 by 40 foot classroom and a 20 by 40 foot domed observatory. It is modeled after the Little Thompson Observatory in Berthoud.

“The Little Thompson Science Foundation that runs the observatory and their president, Meinte Velduis, gave us a lot of help,” said Connolly.

The school district is donating the 12-inch telescope, which can be operated by computer. The telescope automatically points to a location after things like longitude and latitude are fed into the computer.

A network of telescopes in various locations will be established “so kids can see other observatories in real time and others around the world can use theirs,” said Connolly. Access to the computer-controlled telescope will be available through the Internet.

It will also have an audiovisual link “so the kids won’t have to wait in line,” said Connolly. The observatory is for the use of the elementary, middle and high schools and the community at large. The observatory will be a member of Project Astro, as is the Little Thompson Observatory. This program teams astronomers with teachers. Astronomers give guest lectures in the classroom and also help educate teachers.

Andrea Schweitzer, an astronomer at the University of Colorado, received a grant from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) that enables her to come to Estes Park to educate teachers.

The observatory is also for the community and can be used for a variety of events upon request. Evening “star parties” will be held so people can look through the telescopes.

The observatory is a memorial to Tom Connolly, 38, and his sister Christian, 37, who were killed in a motorcycle accident on July 2 last year.

“We’re trying to turn some terrible thing into something good,” said Mike Connolly, an engineer at Lockheed Martin. “We love the project.”

The Connolly’s founded the non-profit Angels Above Foundation to build and run the observatory.

“I think it’s probably the most exciting science thing we have done at the school,” said Frederick, 18, who begins her studies in aerospace engineering at the University of Colorado in the fall. She hopes the observatory will provide more opportunities for the study of astronomy. “I think it’s an advancement,” she said.

The Connollys also formed a local astronomy club, Estes Valley Astronomical Society. Mark Bagdy is the president. “He’s a scientist who loves to teach kids,” said Connolly. More information about the club is available online at www.evastro.org.

An additional $200,000 is needed to build the observatory. Connolly also needs help from volunteers with construction skills, plumbers, electricians, those who want to help run the observatory, operate the telescope, do scheduling and help maintain the website.

“The kids will love it. The Town should love it. It should bring in some tourists. We do have a great night sky in Estes Park,” said Connolly. “It’s a win-win situation for almost everybody.”

For more information or to make a donation, go to www.angelsabove.org.