Physical Sciences gets 'astronomical' boost from donated telescope

Randy Russell, left, Assistant Professor in Physical Sciences, checks out the new telescope donated by Keith Starnes, right.

The Department of Physical Sciences is reaching for the stars, and the generosity of an amateur astronomer just helped the department get a little closer.

Keith W. Starnes, a registered architect with Birchfield Penuel and Associates LLC in Birmingham, donated a Celestron NexStar 8se telescope to Physical Sciences during the recent Transit of Venus event on campus. The department will use the telescope in its introductory astronomy class.

“I grew up with a love of astronomy that I got from my dad, and we always enjoyed going to the W.A. Gayle Planetarium in Montgomery to learn about the night sky,” Starnes said. “I own two telescopes and am planning on getting a third one that better suits my deep-sky viewing needs.”

The telescope has an eight-inch aperture and a computer that allows the telescope to locate and track sky objects. Starnes also donated a set of lenses and filters. Randy Russell, Assistant Professor in Physical Sciences, said a new telescope like this one would cost about $2,000.

Starnes is a native of Montgomery and graduated from Jeff Davis High School in 1981. He holds a bachelor's degree in architecture from Auburn University and a master's in architecture from Clemson University and serves as a Visiting Adjunct Professor of architecture at Auburn. Starnes was a member of the architectural design team that designed the Davidson Center for Space Exploration at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville.

This is not the first time Starnes has offered a generous hand to AUM. In 2011, he made a $1,000 donation to the Library to say thanks for providing him with a nice place to study.

“I have very much enjoyed using the AUM Library as a place to study for my various professional and accreditation exams that I have taken over the years,” he said.

June 18, 2012