On July 14, 2002, a group of Lowbrows met at Peach Mountain Observatory. Both the primary and secondary mirrors were removed and then transported to Chicago where the mirrors were then recoated. Due to the size (and weight) of the McMath telescope, this was a rather complex operation. D. C. Moons gave a talk to the Lowbrows about the removal process on August 16, 2002. The following photographs show some of the stages.
D. C. Moons (shown below the telescope) was crew chief.
Examining the secondary mirror shortly after its removal.
After the primary was removed, the telescope would no longer be balanced. Therefore ropes must be attached to the telescope before hand. Chris Sarnecki is seen on the right.
The table which will hold the primary after it is removed from the telescope.
After the primary mirror was removed, it was placed in a box so it could be transported. The wall is painted white, the door is blue, and there is a red block near the door that supports the fire extinguisher. The mirror reflected these colors leading to the image above. Note, if you turn the image upside down, it resembles the blue, white and red of the french flag.
This photograph shows some of the participants in the mirror removal operation. Left to right: Kathy Hillig, Kurt Hillig, Tom Stoner, D. C. Moons, Chris Sarnecki, Bernard Friberg and Randy Pruitt. Also present during the mirror removal, but not shown in this photograph: Mark Deprest, Charlie Nielsen and Doug Warshow.