Farmersville, Texas

Stars align in Lavon
Grand Heritage resident opens observatory for sky viewing

By Wyndi Veigel
Staff Writer
wveigel@farmersvilletimes.com

Despite the light pollution from the DFW area, the Jacqueline Rose Observatory is now open in Lavon.

The observatory, which is in the Grand Heritage subdivision of off Highway 78, offers a unique opportunity for people in this area to become actively involved in space observation.

“We really want schools, organizations and classes to come visit the observatory,” said Dr. Jerry Galloway, owner and builder of the observatory.

“It would be great to have Scouts, churches, women’s groups, people who are having a family reunion and even individuals come to visit us.”

Though more can be seen at night, people can also gaze at the sun through a filter, allowing people to see sunspots.

“With a different, more expensive filter, we could even see solar flares,” he said.

“We would like to have sponsors to help us, and we would in turn do everything to support them.

It would be great for students to do reports and take their own photos of stars or planets, but in order to do that we need sponsors to help us buy equipment.

We also need the participation and support of the surrounding communities.”

The Jacqueline Rose Observatory is named after Dr. Galloway’s granddaughter who is 12 years old.

“She’s always had a natural curiosity about astronomy, would always ask questions about it and has a pretty healthy interest in it,” Galloway said.

Galloway has also always had an interest in space and astronomy.

“I was doing the solar system while everyone else was doing finger painting when I was five years old,” he said. “I always was
interested in space.”

As an adult, he prefers to focus on planets, though he said he enjoys looking at the moon and taking photos of it as well.

“There’s nothing between you and space besides the glass,” Galloway said on viewing the Black Eye Galaxy, a 17-million-year-old galaxy, through a telescope.

“The eyeball becomes a participant to an experience that began 17 million years ago.”

According to Galloway, viewing space with a telescope is as close to seeing the things NASA sees as the public can get.

Though the Galloways moved to Lavon last summer from Georgia, the observatory is opening for the first time to the public this weekend.

The open house will be from 3 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, May 10 with an alternate rain date of Sunday, May 11.

Everyone is invited to attend, Galloway said, though children must be over 8 years of age.

The observatory is located at 326 Houston Street in Lavon.

“Anyone can come out at any point during that time; no appointments are required,” he said.

Other than during the open house, people wishing to view the observatory must call for an appointment.

“We’re open all year long and do our best to accommodate people’s schedules,” he said.

Galloway said that, although visitors may anticipate seeing a huge structure like the one at Fort Hood, his observatory is about 10 feet tall, holds a size 14 Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope named Big Foot and sits centered on Dr. Galloway’s property.

“There really is nothing like this anywhere around here,” he said.

For more information or to make appointments to visit the JRO call 214- 605-0819 or visit the Web site at www.jerrygalloway.com/astro.

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