The PARI Optical Observatories are located on a mountain ridge (the PARI Optical Ridge) 500 meters from the main campus.  All telescopes and instruments are connected to our local area network. Some can be controlled remotely while others automatically download their data to a web page. 

Several of the telescopes at PARI are dedicated to specific purposes, while others are available to the astronomical community. UNC-Chapel Hill and PARI are collaborating on a 0.4m telescope for robotic use as part of the gamma-ray burst network known as PROMPT.  Furman University and PARI are collaborating on the South Observatory 35cm telescope and camera for remote use by undergraduate students.

The PARI North Observatory houses a 30cm telescope and the SPACE Observatory houses a 25cm telescope.  In addition, astronomers at PARI are using a telescope to study variations in the light from the North Star.  The North Star varies from maximum to minimum brightness over a three day period.  Recently, the amplitude of the variation has begun to change.  PARI is monitoring the North Star day and night to gather data to help understand the reason for the variation. 

PARI also operates two optical solar telescopes – one images sunspots, the other images solar flares.  The images are automatically downloaded to the PARI web site and are used by high school students in the PARI Space Science Lab program.

Telescopes permanently mounted on the PARI Optical Ridge:

·       40cm PARI/PARSEC telescope with a 2048 x 2048 pixel camera and UBVRI filter set, and a 17.5cm Questar telescope on the same mount

·       35cm Furman/PARI telescope with a 2048 x 2048 pixel CCD camera

·       12.7cm OVIEW Sunspot Telescope with a network camera

·       6cm OVIEW Coronado Solar Flare Telescope with a network camera

·       12.7cm Polaris Telescope with SBIG STV camera

Telescopes used for public star parties:

·       15.2cm Newtonian Telescope with eyepieces

·       17.8cm f/13, South Observatory

·       20.3cm Celestron with eyepieces

·       20.3cm Celestron with eyepieces

Future telescopes for the PARI Optical Ridge:

·       1.1 meter f/4.4 and 15cm flat field prime focus focal plane when completed

·       1.8 meter adaptive optics mirror in mirror cell

·       Two 0.5m Schmidt-Newtonian telescopes with rectangular 5cm x 250cm flat field focal planes