Wallace Astrophysical Observatory 16-in Education Telescope Replacement and Upgrade

MIT’s largest telescope used for the GIR-LAB subject 8.287J/12.410J "Observational Techniques in Optical Astronomy" is no longer operable after 45 years of service at the MIT Wallace Astrophysical Observatory (WAO; Westford, MA). Consequently, MIT is lagging behind its peers in delivering state-of-the-art education at the frontiers of astronomy. We request Alumni Class Funds funds to fully replace this education telescope. Specifically, the telescope to be replaced is a 16-in Cassegrain currently housed in a 16-ft dome. We propose incremental options, beginning with the direct replacement of existing equipment, but strongly recommend further upgrade paths so that MIT no longer trails other regional institutions in the quality and capability of its astronomical education facilities.