Williams Observatory
Encyclopedia
Craven E. Williams Observatory is an astronomical
observatory
owned and operated by Gardner-Webb University
. Built in 1990 and named for the ninth president of the university, it is located in Boiling Springs
, North Carolina
(USA). Among its instruments, the observatory features a 16 in (40.6 cm) Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope
. The observatory is home to the Cleveland County Astronomical Society, and also holds monthly open houses for the community. Dr. Don Olive, a self-proclaimed nuclear physicist and professor of science at the university maintains and opens the observatory to the campus and community on occasion.
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
observatory
Observatory
An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geology, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed...
owned and operated by Gardner-Webb University
Gardner-Webb University
Gardner–Webb University is a private university located west of Charlotte in Boiling Springs, North Carolina, USA. The school has a total of 14 academic departments offering 45 major fields of study. Among the most popular of the school's 39 undergraduate majors are those in business , education ,...
. Built in 1990 and named for the ninth president of the university, it is located in Boiling Springs
Boiling Springs, North Carolina
Boiling Springs is a town in Cleveland County, North Carolina, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 4,647. It is home to Gardner-Webb University. The Broad River runs along the south of the township, where the Broad River Greenway is located, providing recreational...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
(USA). Among its instruments, the observatory features a 16 in (40.6 cm) Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope
Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope
The Schmidt–Cassegrain is a catadioptric telescope that combines a cassegrain reflector's optical path with a Schmidt corrector plate to make a compact astronomical instrument that uses simple spherical surfaces.-Invention and design:...
. The observatory is home to the Cleveland County Astronomical Society, and also holds monthly open houses for the community. Dr. Don Olive, a self-proclaimed nuclear physicist and professor of science at the university maintains and opens the observatory to the campus and community on occasion.