b"A Place for Spacing OutColumbia High Schools astronomical observatory is restoredBY ELLEN DONKERAriella Weiss gives a thumbs up for the refurbished telescope at CHS' obser-vatory. Photo by Maya Kurschner.H umanityhaslongtomakeis that the observatory contains a Brashear telescope.ofWhenSouthOrange/Maplewoodshould beenenthralledknow about the jewel they have, says with observing theCharney. [CHS is] probably the only cosmosinaneffortIt was given to the school by a generous donor inhigh school with a Brashear. Whats more, very few senseoftheuniverse.Butit1927it was second-handand is believed to haveschools can boast of an observatory. wasntuntilGalileopointedabeen manufactured around 1910.Charneyfirstscaledthenarrowflights telescopeatJupiter400yearsSadly, the observatory has gone through recur- stairs to view the observatory he says the space ago that our view of the universe was forever changedring cycles of neglect. Certainly its location helps tolooked abandoned. Over the years, pigeons and rain throughdirectobservationoftheskies.Humanskeep it a secret: Few are willing to travel the narrowhad found their way through the roof slats of the have been peering through telescopes ever since staircases and a short list of people are authorized todome and the side of the clock tower below. Filled including members of Columbia High Schools as- have a key. Ultimately, though, it requires a cham- with droppings and feathers amidst other detritus, tronomy club. pion to make sure its maintained and put to use.the space was a mess, and the retractable roof and This fall, the club will be entering an excitingThe observatory got that champion when Dr. Jef- telescope were inoperable. phase:Theyllbeabletousetheschoolsoriginalfrey Charney was hired as a consultant for humanArmed with a $40,000 budget to restore the space telescope in the refurbished observatory, thanks to aresources. In addition to his regular duties, he wasand equipment, Charney connected with Bart Fried, restoration project started in 2018.tasked by interim superintendent Dr. Thomas Fi- another astronomy enthusiast who had worked on Of course, it comes as a surprise to many that ourcarra with overseeing the rehabilitation of the obser- the telescope in the late 80s. Fried helped him navi-high school even has an astronomical observatory.vatory and the telescope. A science educator and angate the small community of those qualified for this Built on top of the schools tower, it sits eight stories,amateur astronomer, Charney recalls that he was inspecialized type of work in order to request bids. or 108 steps, above the ground floor. Even more as- disbelief when told the school had a Brashear. By hisCharney chose Fred Orthlieb, a professor emeritus tounding to those knowledgeable about astronomyestimates, only 15 or so exist on the planet. of mechanical engineering at Swarthmore College, 12/ matters magazine / school 2020"