Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson cuts ribbon at SIUE’s new observatory
Wednesday December 7, a group of SIUE students and faculty gathered around the new observatory for the official ribbon cutting. Special guest and wielder of oversized scissors Neil deGrasse Tyson did the honors after opening remarks from Jeffery Sabby, assistant professor of physics, as well as Aldemaro Romero, dean of SIUE’s College of Arts and Sciences (CAS).
The observatory, the brainchild of Sabby, is entirely automated. The telescope can be operated via the internet from remote locations. This allows a greater amount of data to be gathered and for research resources to be shared with other researchers around the world.
“A couple o
f months ago I controlled it from my dad’s kitchen in Wisconsin.” Sabby shared.
Tyson was asked to cut the ribbon during his visit as a guest lecturer for SIUE’s Arts and Issues where he gave a talk entitled, “Our Past, Present, and Future in Space.” Tyson’s presentation discussed the role of space exploration in society today, as well as the impact it has on scientific advancement. He also discussed upcoming projects including his upcoming book, “Space Chronicles,” forthcoming February 2012, and “Cosmos: A Space Time Odyssey a sequel to Carl Sagan’s “Cosmos: A Personal Voyage,” a thirteen-part television series.
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