Observatory Reaches for Stars

The stars are still just a little bit out of reach at the Montauk Observatory’s observation dome at the Ross School in East Hampton. The organization needs some mechanical parts to get the dome working, and has launched a fund-raising campaign to pay for them.

According to Susan Harder, one of the organization’s founding board members, the cost is far from astronomical: A little over $4,200 is needed for a motor, a power supply, a shutter system, and a handful of other parts, which were discovered to have rusted while the dome was in storage awaiting a permanent home over the last few years.

The Montauk Observatory’s long-term goal is to raise $25,000, according to a crowd-funding website set up for the campaign, which will help it set up educational programs, internships, and research opportunities for students. The organization has received the offer of $6,000 in matching donations from a private supporter, meaning that for every $1 someone gives, that contribution will be matched with another $1, up to $6,000.

“We’re hopeful that that will happen sometime soon,” Ms. Harder said Friday. “We’d like to have it up and running to complement our lecture series. We just have to finish up these little parts.”

The observation dome was installed at the Ross School’s tennis center over the summer. Once it is outfitted with new parts, it will permanently house a 20-inch, research-caliber telescope that weighs 900 pounds. In addition to supporting the organization’s lectures and other programming, the general public will be able to request remote online access to the telescope for research and recreation.

Donations to the Montauk Observatory, a registered nonprofit organization, are tax-deductible. Contributions can be made online at gofundme.com/MontaukObservatory or at montaukobservatory.com/donate.asp, or by sending a check to Montauk Observatory, care of Terry Bienstock, its president, at 2312 Bay Avenue, Miami Beach, Fla. 33140.