As work continues across the Observatory grounds, our team recently took on another major project behind the scenes— carefully cleaning the mirror of the historic Seyfert Telescope for the first time since its restoration in 2016–2017.
The process is far more involved than simply wiping down a lens. The Seyfert Telescope itself weighs about one metric ton, and during the cleaning process, the Observatory dome is used to help stabilize the telescope and its massive counterweights while the mirror is carefully removed and handled.
To access the mirror, it must also be removed from the protection of the telescope tube entirely, making the work both labor-intensive and delicate despite extensive precautions from staff.
While the freshly cleaned mirror looks dramatically different, visitors likely will not notice a major change in image quality at the eyepiece.
With renovation work happening around the Observatory, this was the right moment to tackle the project and help preserve one of Dyer’s most iconic instruments for years to come.
Learn more about the renovation.
