moon phases

The Founders | The 10" Project | The Frame and Mount | The Mirror | The Dome | The Building

A mirror measuring 26" in diameter sits at the base of the NJAA telescope’s optical tube. This mirror captures light and focuses it into imagery. But how did it come to be? Several people worked together to make it a reality. The mirror started out as a slab of Duran 50 optical glass. This 5" thick, 220 pound heart of the NJAA telescope was a gift of Schott Glassworks of Mainz, Germany through their US agent, the Fish-Schurman Corporation of New Rochelle, NY. Stanley Brower (pictured above right), an honorary NJAA member and President of the Laboratory Optical Company of Green Brook arranged this the "hands across the sea" gift. Mr. Brower paid the only costs associated for this gift: transportation and duty. Mr. Brower also gave the NJAA the mechanical machine that was used to grind the proper curve into the glass slab. The machine that brought the NJAA’s 26" scope mirror to life is on display at the NJAA Astronomical Center. It took over two years to grind and polish the proper curve in the 26" mirror. During fabrication, the mirror was periodically tested to assess progress and ensure the curve would be accurate to within a fraction of a wavelength of light.