Making a World of Difference

Maan Hani, telescope operator and candidate for M.Sc. in Astronomy.

Over the years, the Burke-Gaffney Observatory has instilled a deeper appreciation of the universe and welcomed many amateur astronomers from the community. It has also been the home of major discoveries, including the first supernova discovered in Canada in 1995 and was portrayed on a Canadian stamp in 2002.
 
Thanks to a generous donation from Dr. Ralph Medjuck, the Burke-Gaffney Observatory has been revitalized with the purchase of a larger telescope with higher optical performance, a matching digital imaging camera, and state-of-the art control systems that allow full remote control of the telescope and dome. Dr. Medjuck’s investment has also allowed for other important renovations, including the creation of a viewing platform where students and community members can set up amateur telescopes to view the night sky.
 
Dr. Ralph Medjuck and his wife, Mrs. Shirlee Medjuck, have also invested in the future of Saint Mary’s students by endowing an annual scholarship in the name of their late daughter, Beth Medjuck-Benjamin. For years to come, the Beth Medjuck-Benjamin Marketing Scholarship will ease the financial burden for promising marketing majors completing a Bachelor of Commerce in the Sobey School of Business.
 
Saint Mary’s is grateful for the leadership and support of Ralph and Shirlee Medjuck, and was honoured to unveil the new Dr. Ralph M. Medjuck Telescope on October 22, 2014.