Just heard from old friend Mark Bracewell, who saw our new book Astronomy Hacks, and thought that I ought to know that there’s a plan afoot to tear down the Stanford radio telescope dishes. There are a group of people who are petitioning Stanford to stop the demolition. According to the petition:
We strongly support the rescue of the Stanford Radio Telescope Dishes by the Friends of the Bracewell Observatory Association (FBOA) to open up the world of radio astronomy to Stanford’s faculty, students, and community!
In light of the number of Stanford faculty and students who have already signed up to use the facility, FBOA’s readiness to provide long-term funding and expert maintenance, and the fact that it carries a $10 million replacement cost, we feel it would be a tragedy for the telescope to be demolished for no compelling reason.
We urge you to suspend the planned demolition, and accept FBOA’s offer to fully fund, refurbish, and maintain the observatory.
If you agree, sign here