The project, which is slated to cost $4.4m, is expected to be finished in February of 2015 and will coincide with the 50th anniversary of the university. A large part of the funding for the observatory came from the Trottier Foundation, an organization run by four brothers – one of whom is a physics professor at SFU – and will be associated with the Trottier Studio for Innovative Science Education.
The observatory will be used to promote knowledge and literacy not just among SFU students, but for anyone interested, and will be open to the general public.
SFU President Andrew Petter commented:
“These facilities will help SFU realize its goal to be Canada’s most community-engaged research university.”
Once the observatory is ready to open, the university may hire a printing company for the purposes of banner printing in order to promote the observatory and advertise specific exhibits within.
The centrepiece of the observatory will consist of a reflector telescope located in a large dome. Through this telescope, viewers will be able to see planets, stars, and look back in time to distant galaxies that existed millions of years ago.