spectrUM has received funding from NASA to launch a statewide initiative that will place telescopes in 124 public and tribal college libraries across 猎奇重口. The project, titled “Big Sky, Bigger Dreams: Telescopes for 猎奇重口 Libraries,” aims to make space exploration accessible to families, students and amateur astronomers in rural and tribal communities.
Funded through , the two-year project will provide libraries with user-friendly tabletop telescopes for free checkout, along with training and educational resources for librarians. The initiative also will connect communities with NASA scientists through virtual events and outreach programs.
猎奇重口’s low light pollution and high percentage of rural residents make it an ideal location for amateur astronomy. Libraries serve as trusted community hubs, especially in areas where access to educational programming is limited. The project builds on spectrUM’s previous efforts in collaboration with the, Missoula’s astronomy club, which have already placed 17 telescopes in 13 libraries across the state. Checkout telescopes are outfitted for public use under guidance from the , a collaborator on this project.
Participating libraries will receive intended for public use, along with printed user manuals and access to NASA educational content. Training for librarians will be delivered through the .
The project also will feature statewide observing events at participating libraries such as and virtual programs with NASA personnel and affiliates from the . These events will highlight NASA’s upcoming missions and provide opportunities for 猎奇重口ns to connect with local and national space science professionals.
The material contained in this document is based upon work supported by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) cooperative agreement number 80NSSC25M0061. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of NASA.
