Our Museum Lost Our Donated Warehouse & Office!

Most of the Telescope Museum’s artifacts, telescopes, equipment, furniture, books, photographs, etc. have been in a donated warehouse space. On October 12th we learned that the warehouse was sold, and we have to move everything immediately! And then on October 19th we learned that we have to move out of our donated offices due to changes in the donor’s lease with the building’s owner! Our new building will not be ready upwards of a year! And that is dependent on raising the necessary capital. Ideally we need to rent an appropriate space for offices, workshops, a public gallery, etc. This would cost at least $50,000 or $60,000. At the very least we have to put everything into temporary storage, but we need funds to cover the unexpected costs of packing, moving, temporary rent, etc. Depending on which location and all the other fees, we need about $15,000-$20,000 to pay for these unforeseen costs over the short term. And we need $7,300 by the end of October!

Update: We got a short extension! The new deadline is November 10th!

Who am I? Growing up in West Texas, with some of the darkest skies in the US, my love affair with the night sky began early. This love was amplified when I received my first telescope, my beloved Jason Refractor, in the 5th grade. I learned to develop black and white film so that I could develop astrophotography. I made frequent trips to the nearby McDonald Observatory. My first year at Odessa College, I ran the college planetarium during the astronomy professors frequent trips. I joined the Planetary Society at Carl Sagan’s written request. As a newly minted computer science major, I moved to Dallas and joined the Texas Astronomical Society. An 8″ Schmidt-Cassegrain became the optics of choice, alongside a good set of 10×50 binoculars. A move to Colorado in 1994 forced a trade to the Denver Astronomical Society. I co-founded the Aurora Astronomical Association (sadly now defunct). Along a Messier Certificate, I am well on my way to achieving the first Herschel list. During the early 2000’s I taught astronomy to sixth graders at the two Jefferson County Outdoor Education Laboratory Schools, and I still miss the 22″ classical Cassegrain on Mt. Evans! I am a frequent judge for the MESA competition and remain a staunch STEM advocate. For the mundane aspects of my life, I work as the Deputy Chief Technology Officer and Director of Major Projects for the State of Colorado.

Why is the Telescope Museum important? Some years ago, I was shocked to discover that there was no museum dedicated to telescopes! The history of the telescope is the history of exploring the sky, the planets, the Milky Way, the galaxies, and the entire universe. The Museum is a pale reflection of what we can become. By working with all the other museums, libraries, observatories, planetariums, telescope manufacturers... all astronomical organizations, the International Telescope Museum fulfills the vital need to preserve everything that documents telescopes and telescope-based objects as part of our civilization and our culture for current and future generations. Michael W. Brown, President, International Telescope Museum.