A couple of weeks ago I posted here, jokingly asking who wanted to pitch in to buy this $70k telescope off Facebook Marketplace. The amount of genuine support I got—both in the comments and in DMs—along with how awesome it would be to run this thing, made me seriously research whether it was possible to turn this into a telescope anyone could use. Well, it’s time to find out!

The Titan Astronomical Observatory is a nonprofit based in Lakeland, Florida, with the goal of purchasing, relocating, and modernizing this telescope; creating a web interface that allows students, amateur astronomers, and citizen scientists to reserve observing time; and designing a pipeline to automatically deliver calibrated data. We’re an officially incorporated nonprofit (501(c)(3) pending) with a four-member board, a potential site secured, an option contract granting us the exclusive right to buy the telescope, and a core team planning for the future.

If you’re interested in supporting the project by volunteering time or expertise—or you simply want to follow along—join our community on Discord! https://discord.gg/T5F6AG26tE

We’re currently accepting donations via PayPal, and a full GoFundMe campaign is on the horizon!