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FOR THE JOURNAL

Bob Crew, co-creator of the telescope, died in August and would be thrilled to know that the Clemson Area Amateur Astronomers have taken the project out of retirement and will be putting it to good use — helping the community see outer space like they never have before.

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FOR THE JOURNAL

The late Dixon Lomax, co-creator of one of the biggest telescopes in the Southeast, is reflected in the 29-inch mirror that sits at the base of the telescope.

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FOR THE JOURNAL

The Clemson Area Amatuer Astronomers organization has almost completely refurbished the 12-foot telescope previously owned by Bob Crew of Seneca.

CLEMSON — Most of us have hobbies.

We enjoy venturing out into the world of what we love.

But for avid astronomer Dixon Lomax, he had a vision to go beyond simply enjoying. He wanted to get up close and personal with what he considered intriguing — the great beyond.

His vision was to have a better view of what he loved, and he built exactly what he needed.

In the mid-1980s, Lomax and his astronomy cohort Bob Crew, looked on as their homemade 12-foot telescope was dedicated in their honor.

The twosome built one of the biggest telescopes in the Southeast, using a 29-inch mirror to reflect some of the most magnificent sights in the sky.

But before the telescope could be fine tuned and used as often as Lomax would have liked, he died.

After that, Crew and his wife Sarah took over the scope, building it up and stabilizing the nearly 400-pound viewing beast. However, the scope sat unused for quite a while, weathering in quality as it was exposed to the elements in a shed on a local property.

But Ram White, president of the Clemson Area Amateur Astronomers (CAAA), stayed in close contact with Crew over the years as they remained hopeful of getting it up and running again. Today, White and his team of astronomer enthusiasts are on the telescope path once again, as Sarah Crew made a very difficult decision.

“Bob (Crew) passed away just a couple months ago,” White said. “Sarah worked with us and passed it down after we told her our group would put this to use and benefit the community.

“She deserves so much of the credit, as she went back and forth, unsure what to do with one of her husband’s prized possessions. We thank her immensely,” White added.

The group soon found that various aspects of the scope were in bad shape, including that crucial 29-inch mirror.

“We sent it off to a company in Pittsburg, and they refurbished the areas that needed it,” White added. “The group will meet again in the near future to make some final adjustments, then the scope will be ready for observing in no time.”

In addition to their efforts with the well-known telescope, the CAAA is adamant about sharing its passion with the community. They have various outreach programs in schools and churches, welcoming all who are curious to visit one of their “Star Parties.”

“People come out and set up their telescopes to view different things in the night sky,” White said. “But this telescope will allow the average person to see things they wouldn’t be able to with most high-end telescopes.”

White said once the adjustments are final, they will be able to see the bands on Jupiter, the moon shadow, the “Great Red Spot” on Jupiter, distinguish the different bands within the rings of Saturn, make out various galaxies and view Uranus with no problem.

“This is all manually driven, but we are hoping to put a camera in to make it easier for viewing,” White said. “We want people to be able to come by and see, without having to stand on a big stool.”

CAAA is affiliated with NASA’s Night Sky Network, an educational and outreach facilitation function, which provides the CAAA with assistance, materials and guidance.

“Although our group has taken this over, we have to thank Dixon and Bob,” White said. “Without their vision and their drive, we wouldn’t have this opportunity. We are greatly looking forward to sharing this great achievement.”

For more information, visit www.oconeeskies.com/caaa/ or call (864) 868-2662.

jsibley@dailyjm.com | (864) 882-2375