Welcome
The historic McMath Hulbert Solar Observatory is located near Lake Angelus, MI. Projects are under way to continue the facility's rich history of science and education.
Astronomy Link of the Week
Learn about light pollution and how it affects astronomy. Read article...
Solar News in Michigan and Beyond
University of Michigan researchers show new way to help solar panels track the sunMichigan's largest solar array up and running
Latest news about University of Michigan's SolarCar
Solar panels that integrate directly into buildings set to take off in the next five years
University of Michigan researchers part of effort to develop better solar storage batteries
Getting Charged Up: Wiring Updates in Progress
Some excellent work on upgrading some infrastructure at the observatory has been taken on by Matthew Visnaw and others. See reports on the MHO blog.
Outstanding MHO Volunteer Dave Benham Dies at Age 66
Dave was an active volunteer at MHO and he and his talents will be missed. His work on the SuperSID project of the Society of Amateur Radio Astronomers (SARA) helped add to the scientific legacy of the observatory.
Auroras in Michigan
An intense geomagnetic storm brought some bright auroras to local observers. This followed an impact by a coronal mass ejection (CME) around 2:00 pm EDT on October 24th, 2011. Watch the video from an observer in Martin, MI.
Observatory Volunteers Attend SARA Conference
by Dave Benham
Tom Hagen, Lee DePriest and Dave Benham attended the 2011 Society of Amateur Radio Astronomers conference at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) site at Green Bank, West Virginia. They gave a presentation on VLF noise reduction that was well received by the attendees.
Tom won a door prize to go to the top of the GBT (the Great Big Telescope). Dave was elected to the board as a director and acted as interim secretary for the annual board meeting at the conference. The president of SARA also presented Dave with a certificate of appreciation for outstanding efforts as SuperSID Mentor 2010-2011. See more info and pictures on the MHO blog.
Recent Radio and Radio Astronomy Projects
by Dave Benham
Tom Hagen and I have been working with LF, VLF and ELF-ULF for the past year. Imagine our surprise when we learned that some of this activity qualifies as radio astronomy! Here’s what we’ve been doing:
Upcoming Radio Astronomy Project
Observatory volunteers are looking forward to starting a new project developed by longtime SARA member Kerry Smith. It's known as the IBT (Itty Bitty Telescope) and is typically made from an old satellite dish (the small DirecTV types). It can be used to demonstrate radiation from the sun, the moon, trees, human bodies, the ground, etc. You use a particular satellite level meter (the devices used to aim your dish) with some modifications. As the project progresses, results will be posted here and on the MHO blog.
Visit the news archive to see past news.
See some of the great volunteer projects in the project archive.
Observe the Earth with Online Maps and Satellite Imagery
Visit this link for a great view of the McMath Hulbert Observatory.
McMath Hulbert Observatory - ZOOM-IN with Google Maps!
Is It Clear Tonight?
Find out with the MHO Clear Sky Clock.
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