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Published in the Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 2005, 206, p. 0202

PARI Education and Research Programs

J. D. Cline, M. W. Castelaz

Abstract

The Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI) is a not-for-profit public foundation founded in 1999.  PARI has acquired and developed a former NASA tracking station located in Western North Carolina as a radio and optical astronomy research and educational opportunities for a broad cross-section of users.  In the six years since its founding, PARI has grown by developing educational programs that have impacted thousands of K-16 students.  The programs are hands-on experimentally based, mixing disciplines in astronomy, computer science, engineering, and multimedia.  The basic tools for the educational programs include a 4.6m radio telescope accessible over the Internet, a StarLab planetarium, and remotely accessible optical telescopes.  As the next step in its growth, PARI is developing collaborative research programs.  The research programs take advantage of the existing infrastructure that primarily consists of two 26m radio telescopes, a 12m radio telescope, office and lab space, fiber optic connectivity, and power backup.  The current state of instrumentation, plans for their improvement, and major research and educational programs will be presented.