Riverhead High School Highlighted for Reopening Observatory
The reopening of the Riverhead High School Young Observatory with a celebratory ribbon cutting ceremony was recently highlighted by Newsday, Newsday TV, RiverheadLOCAL and Riverhead News-Review. The observatory was originally constructed on the high school’s campus in 1980 and utilized to teach astronomy but had since been closed and unused for many years. The District has now made the observatory fully operational once more, and its state-of-the-art facilities and telescope are being used by Riverhead High School astronomy classes to explore the sky, universe, celestial phenomena and historical scientific contributions. The observatory includes the original telescope built in 1934 and using a lens masterfully crafted in the 1880s by world-renown craftsman Harry Fisk. The lens is the last known example of his work not on display at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.
To learn more, view the articles and features at the links below.
Newsday TV Feature and Newsday Our Towns Article
Additional photos are on the Riverhead CSD Facebook here.
The ribbon is officially cut to reopen the Young Observatory
The telescope in the Young Observatory
Many of those who helped make the observatory’s reopening possible stand proudly in front of it
Riverhead Central School District Superintendent Dr. Augustine E. Tornatore thanks those involved in making the Young Observatory functioning again
Riverhead Central School District Director of STEM Jeannine Campbell delivers remarks