MVHS Physics & Astronomy Club · 37.3894° N, 122.0819° W
Point it at anything.
Seven students at Mountain View High School are building a 10-inch telescope that aims itself. At first light, anyone can request a target — the telescope finds it, photographs it, and sends the image back.
- Aperture
- 254 mm
- Focal ratio
- f/4.48
- Mount
- Alt-az GoTo
- First light
- Aug 2026
Field notes · Mountain View, CA
Built from scratch, by students
The MVHS Physics & Astronomy Club is seven high-school students building a research-grade telescope entirely from scratch — mechanics, optics, electronics, and software — to bring the night sky to the Bay Area through free public star parties.
PLATE I
Hands-on engineering
A 10-inch reflecting telescope built from raw materials — plywood, aluminum, optics, and electronics, designed and assembled by students.
PLATE II
Free star parties
Open community observation nights for families across the Bay Area. No tickets, no fees — just curiosity and clear skies.
PLATE III
Student-led software
6,800+ lines of Python powering autonomous tracking, plate-solving, and auto-alignment — written and tested entirely by our team.
Public observatory · Remote access
A telescope you can use from anywhere
We're building a public-access robotic observatory. Submit a target, get an image of the cosmos — for free, from your phone.
01
You pick a target
A galaxy, a nebula, a planet — anything in our catalog, from any phone or laptop.
02
The telescope slews
The mount finds your object, plate-solves to confirm it's centered, and starts the exposure.
03
The image comes back
Your photograph of the cosmos lands in your inbox. Free, every time.
M45 · The Pleiades — seven sisters, seven students
The crew
Mechanical, optical, electronic, and software — every discipline on this build is run by a student.
Aryan Khanna
Club President
Eeshan Khandelwal
Software & Electronics Lead
Neel Chhatrala
Mechanical Lead
Vidu Senadheera
Mechanical Member
David Cho
Mechanical Member
Tristan Schaefer
Outreach
Ishaan Sakariya
Mechanical & Software Member
The instrument · 254 mm Newtonian on alt-az mount
Anatomy of a light bucket
Every photon that left the Orion Nebula 1,344 years ago ends its trip on a mirror our students aligned by hand.
Fig. 1 — Newtonian light path · f/4.48
Fig. 2 — Instrument manifest
- Primary mirror
- 254 mm (10") f/4.48 parabolic — donated by Pacific Holographic, the optical heart of the system.
- Star tracking
- INDI-compatible GoTo with plate-solving and auto-alignment. The mount knows where it's pointed.
- Drives
- NEMA 23 altitude/azimuth steppers on TMC2209 silent drivers; ToupTek AAF electronic auto-focuser.
- Imaging
- ToupTek ATR585C cooled deep-sky camera (Sony IMX585) with a GPM462C guide camera for closed-loop tracking.
- Software
- Python + TypeScript control stack with a web dashboard and ASCOM/INDI drivers — written by students.
- Structure
- Truss-tube Dobsonian in Baltic birch. Breaks into two sections, under 50 lbs — fits in a car trunk.
Observing log · 2026 April — August
From plywood to first light
Concept to a working public observatory in under six months.
- 2026-04 · APRIn progress
Design & planning
Finalize optical design, source the primary mirror, complete CAD models for all mechanical assemblies, and begin procurement of materials.
- 2026-05 · MAY
Fabrication & assembly
Cut plywood, assemble mirror box and rocker box, machine bearing surfaces, build truss structure, and integrate electronics enclosure.
- 2026-06/07 · JUN–JUL
Electronics & software
Wire stepper motors and drivers, integrate Raspberry Pi control system, develop tracking software, and run automated test suites.
- 2026-08 · AUG
First light & star parties
Achieve first light, calibrate optics, perform star tests, and host our inaugural free public star party for the community.
Mirror fund · Direct cash only
Filling the aperture
Every dollar is one more part on the build. The ring below is our 254 mm mirror — we're filling it with light.
The ring counts only direct cash donations. In-kind sponsors provide equipment, fabrication credits, materials, or services that never touch our cash budget — the full roster is on the sponsors page. The estimated budget reflects current pricing on every non-donated part on our parts list.
Sponsorship · Tax-deductible via MVLA school district
Put your name on the telescope
Sponsors are engraved on the instrument itself — every star party it ever points at, your name is there.
Estimated budget
We build with donated materials wherever possible and keep costs minimal. Your sponsorship — whether $10 or $100 — directly funds the optics, electronics, and materials that make this project possible.
What sponsors receive
- Your name engraved on our 10-inch Dobsonian telescope
- Shoutout at every community star party we host
- Featured on our Instagram (@mvhs_physics_astro_club) and website
- Invitation to our First Light event in August 2026
- Tax-deductible donation through our school district