Telescope Use

    About the Foundation – The purpose of the Tzec Maun Foundation is to provide free access to telescopes. Our overall goal is to educate and enrich those who are interested in the field of astronomy and who may not otherwise have the means to access the proper instruments. The Foundation provides remote-controlled telescopic equipment that is accessible through the Foundation’s web site to qualified institutions and individuals. Our primary audience is students attending regular classes, and we work primarily through teams at individual schools. The standard method is for a team leader, typically a teacher, to sign up and then to take care of signing up students and teaching them how to use the scopes. However, we also serve other audiences, as long as there is some educational or research purpose. See below for specific details.

    Apply to use telescopes – If you work with students (of any age), you can apply to become a team leader to supervise student use of the telescopes. In general, the resources of the Foundation and its programs are available to any accredited educational institution, subject to some simple qualifications:

    • The educational institution is a bona fide school or planetarium with students
    • The educational institution retains at least one knowledgeable astronomy instructor, or an amateur/professional astronomy person, who will be responsible for helping students learn how to use the Foundation’s software and equipment.

    Such institutions are the primary users of the telescopes, but we also provide free telescope access to individuals involved in educational or research projects (subject to telescope availability). We have a separate application for individuals. To qualify, an individual must meet one of the following qualifications:

    • You are a student at a high school, college, or other commonly recognized educational entity. This includes home-schooled students.
    • You are doing research that you expect to publish or otherwise provide to the astronomical community (amateur or professional) at large. Credit to Tzec Maun Observatory is required in your publication.
    • You are providing, or taking part in, an educational program specifically involving astronomy. This might include community college classes, a non-profit observatory with an outreach program, a non-credit class at a community college, etc.
    • We will also consider special cases not included here. We are looking for some educational purpose, shared knowledge, student benefits, and similar outcomes. Feel free to apply if you feel this applies to you. Provide as much detail as possible when you apply.

    Telescope Portal – This is the entry point for students who use the telescopes. It provides login access, weather information, telescope status, telescope descriptions, etc.

    As a visitor, many of our menu options are not visible to you. If you would like to investigate our site more thoroughly before you decide to apply, you can request a special “guest pass” that will give you greater access. Email one of the contacts below to request such access. (With the guest pass, you can click on the menu selections on the left and right sides of the page to see more about what we do. The Students Links should be of particular interest, but take a look at the gallery, weather reports, and forums as well.)

    If you have any questions, please contact Chanel Clayton, Teams Coordinator. For help with technical issues related to the observatory or telescopes, please contact Ron Wodaski, Foundation Director.