Coming Soon--The Brinton Observatory

Thanks to the generosity of Mary Loraine Brinton and her family, a beautiful and powerful high-end telescope will be donated to Makemie Woods to enhance our program and to reach out to neighboring schools and organizations.

Named in memory of Henry Brinton, a NASA astronomer for 40 years and member of Williamsburg Presbyterian Church, this telescope will carry on his passion for making star-gazing available to children of all ages, so that children can see with their own eyes the glorious universe God has created.  Psalms 19:1 will serve as the theme Bible verse  for the Brinton Observatory, "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands."Not only will Makemie Woods campers and visitors see first hand the vastness of God's creation, the pr0gram will be designed inspire youth to pursue excellence in their studies. 

Focusing primarily on visual astronomy, the Brinton Observatory will be
integrated into the summer camp program and other activities at Makemie
Woods.  From the planets and other solar system objects to the stars and
galaxies beyond, the telescope will afford observers the opportunity to see
the night sky in detail far beyond what is observable via the unaided eye.
For advanced observers, a program is being planned to utilize the
observatory for scientific observations including photometric studies of the
magnitude of objects and spectroscopic studies of the chemical composition
of objects.

With help from NASA, we hope to fully automate the scope and dome, and add internet capabilities.  This means that on certain nights, you would be able to see what our telescope is seeing from your own computer!  Scientists plan to use this telescope to monitor novae and other astronomical objects over time.  Can you imagine Makemie Woods mentioned in scientific journals?

In order for this dream to become a reality at Makemie Woods, we must raise $13,000 to purchase the dome and slab that will protect the telescope.  We have received a $6000 challenge "Matching gift" that will double the value of donations made by others.  Please consider making a gift today!

This is an opportunity for campers and others for whom Makemie Woods has become holy ground to "leave their mark."  Gifts of all sizes are very welcome--gifts of $100 or more will be recognized on a plaque with a name of the donor's choice. 

Send donation to:

Makemie Woods (earmarked "Dome")
PO Box 39
Barhamsville VA 23011

or make a donation through Paypal