A man, an idea and a hill have lifted 200,000 eyes to the stars during the 25 years since the Joseph H. Rogers Observatory opened.
The brainchild of an instructor at Northwestern Michigan College, the Rogers Observatory six miles south of the college's main campus serves astronomy students as well as school children from around the region and the general public. The 14-inch Celestron Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope that began its life in the region as a (not really) portable instrument found a home in the observatory, which officially opened October 5, 1981.
The college will hold a special free public viewing celebrating the anniversary this Wednesday evening from 7 p.m. until 11 p.m.
With estimates topping 100,000 visitors over the years -- attending either regular open houses hosted by the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society or special viewings -- the observatory functions far beyond the 80 students annually who take college astronomy classes.
"It is extremely unusual that a community college has a separate observatory, many four-year colleges do not have one," noted Jerry Dobek, the observatory's curator and a math and science instructor at NMC. "We've actually outgrown the building, both for classes and public events."
This deluge of interest year after year exceeded even Rogers' wildest dreams. A dedicated educator who retired in 1984 and died in 1997, his vision was first and foremost about the students.
"As things got rolling along, his idea was to open it up to the community and he thought if we could get 25-50 people a year that would be great," recalled Dobek, adding the observatory draws 4,000-5,000 visitors annually.
A special celestial event draws a bulge of visitors that can run into a thousand people a night, noted Bob Moler, a founding member of the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society.
"If we get a comet or something and it hits the news we get a lot of people out there," he said.
The telescope was purchased for $5,400 in 1976 using NMC Bar-B-Que funds. Once Rogers decided it needed a permanent home, one of the biggest hurdles was finding suitable land.
Long before the land boom began in the region, Rogers was scouting the area for a suitable location for an observatory. In November of 1976, he discovered a 250-foot-elevation hill off of Birmley Road south of town - just far enough to be dark but close enough to the college for students. Tromping over it with two colleagues one evening and taking in a sunset, he met owner Ralph Lautner who came over to investigate the trespassers.
Launter was intrigued by the idea and soon he and Frank and Kay Tezak, who owned the other half of the hill, gave 2.5 acres each to the college for the observatory.
"Who has any use for the top of a hill other than maybe a good spot to build," said Mary Lautner, Ralph's wife, recalling that the couple checked with their children before making the donation. "I'm glad we did what we did."
After obtaining a green light from the NMC board but no college money, Rogers began planning and raising funds for the 1,000-square foot building and 14-foot diameter dome to house the telescope. In all, more than $63,000 of materials and money were donated over three years; no taxpayer funds were used.
Dobek, who was a student at NMC while the observatory was under construction, helped Rogers clear the land and with other general construction tasks. He remembers Rogers as an unstoppable force who, when it came to his students or education, did not know the "meaning of the word no." Rogers passionate appeals secured an outpouring of support from the community: many an invoice arrived during that phase marked "Donation to observatory."
Celebrating the Rogers Observatory's silver anniversary this week, Dobek and members of the Astronomical Society are already looking ahead to next quarter century.
"The observatory is a great asset to the college and the community," said Dobek. "We're thinking how do we want the observatory to look 25 years from now, what's our vision."
For more information about the Rogers Observatory, call 946-1787 or visit the website www.nmc.edu/rogersobservatory; the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society's website is linked from that site. The free public viewing in honor of the 25th anniversary will be held tonight from 7-11 p.m. at the observatory, located at 1753 Birmley Road.