A little history and background.... 

The name for this observatory comes from its location.  The observatory is located near what used to be the railroad junction in a little hamlet then known as Faust, NY.  A while back, Faust was combined with the village of Tupper Lake and the area that used to be called Faust is now known to the local residents simply as "The Junction". 

 The local railroad station is currently being rebuilt at the same site and rail traffic via the Adirondack Scenic Railway will soon be returning to the area along the route from Saranac Lake and Lake Placid.

There are now three small observatories in Tupper Lake which precede the construction of the Adirondack Public Observatory (APO).  The APO will be a state-of-the-art research grade observatory with a public viewing area and a planetarium.  Along with the Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks (known as "The Wild Center"), it will make Tupper Lake an educational "earth and sky" science center for the Adirondacks.

A little more about The Junction Observatory...

  This home made 8' diameter dome observatory is a collection of donated materials, used parts and help from some very knowledgeable friends.

The main telescope is the Meade LXD75 Schmidt-Newtonian 10" reflector and the Orion Atlas German Equatorial Mount (GEM) which has replaced the Meade LXD75 mount that was there originally. 

The scope is supported on a concrete base with a metal pier that is isolated from the rest of the building to reduce vibration. 
 
The leveling system (see the telescope page) is a unique design put together by Marc Staves, who is also the president of the Adirondack Public Observatory.

The purpose of this observatory will be educational in nature, as it will serve as an accessible resource for the high school astronomy club and for my high school astronomy class. 
 
     My name is Gordie Duval and I'm a science teacher and astronomy club advisor at the Tupper Lake Middle/High School in Tupper Lake, NY.

Please browse the site and enjoy.  
     

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