Pheng Vang’s Senior Project

Building a Telescope

Pheng is in the Class of 2014 at Bear Creek high School and chosen “Building a Telescope” for his senior project. Here is a slide show of some of his progress.

Francis O’Reilly, an ATMer in New York, sent Pheng a 6” f/8 mirror. The mirror has a fine figure, and Pheng will eventually re-aluminize the optic. Here is Pheng and Jeff the day Pheng got his new mirror.

Pheng is sporting a Stellafane shirt that Francis sent along with the mirror. Pheng is drilling for wood inserts for his tube-holding box which will sit in the rocket box by altitude bearings.

More drilling.

First Light! April 20, 2014, Easter Sunday, Phang takes a look at Jupiter and its four Galilean moons. The scope works! He will take the tape off of the altitude bearings after glue has dried, and then paint the whole scope. He has chosen gray as his color. Construction time was about 12 hours.

Here is a photo of it painted.

Contributors to Pheng’s project were Francis O’Reilly, James Schucknecht, Jeff Baldwin, James Seiferling, Dennis LeClert, Mike Lavieri and Eric Holland. These contributors held the total cost of Pheng’s project down to under $100. Many thanks to all of you supporters.