Many people and students at CWU have been speculating about what the observatory atop Lind Hall could’ve been used for. Gaining knowledge of extraterrestrial beings or just knowing the unknown. We all can use our imagination on what it was used for, but after speaking with Dr. Andy Piacsek from the physics department, many questions were answered which lead to no more wondering minds.

The speculations of one last experiment were more down to earth and not as extraterrestrial as many would have thought, even though there had been speculations as to what final experiment had kept the observatory active.

“The physics department is currently studying how, or whether, we will continue to use the observatory on the roof of Lind Hall,” Piacsek said.

The Lind Hall observatory is in competition with the new and larger observatory that has been built in the Science II building, according to Piacsek.

Lind hall was originally designed and constructed in 1947 as a science building for the then Central Washington College of Education in an attempt to expand the department of sciences. Originally, Lind hall housed the math department and all the science departments, according to Geology instructor Nick Zentner in a lecture.  

Since the creation of the new observatory in the Science II building, it’s left the status on Lind hall’s observatory up in the air.

“To keep the old observatory usable for students would require a significant investment, which we may decide is not worth the cost,”  Piacsek said.

The history and richness of Lind Hall would be the biggest reason why the observatory should still be in use. Many believe that CWU students should be in the know with the history of school, and some even say that it the observatory could be used potentially as a mock-observatory.

“The old Lind Hall observatory was used for student astronomy research, which is what is now the new science II building observatory is used for,” Piacsek said.  

Even though the status of the observatory is in limbo, the hardware and resources of the equipment can still contribute some valuable research. Given the recent advancements in technology with the newly constructed Science II building, Lind’s observatory might see the light of day, when it comes to a remodel.

“The Lind Hall observatory still has the 12-inch telescope that we’ve used for the past couple decades, but the equipment and software needed to operate it (aim it precisely, take pictures, etc.) is obsolete and difficult to use. It is not currently being used for any observation work,” Piacksek said.

The Lind Hall  observatory sounds like it doesn’t have a very bright future ahead, even after all of the many speculations on what it’s used for. For now, it seems as if it’s mainly there now to collect dust.  Even with all the speculation, there’s still a discussion amongst faculty and department heads for the future of the Lind Observatory, even if it’s not on the school’s top-priority list.

“We need to decide whether it is worth the investment to upgrade that equipment, so that students can continue to use it. We don’t know what that cost is yet. The other option is to mothball that facility; that is, remove some useful equipment and keep the dome from leaking, but otherwise leave it in place.”

The Lind Hall observatory has put in its many years of education but now it might possibly be time to close it down for bigger, better and brighter futures for CWU students and staff.