General Information

Boston University joined with Lowell Observatory as a permanent partner in the Lowell Discovery Telescope (LDT; nee the Discovery Channel Telescope, DCT) in October of 2011. This began a ten-year project to purchase a perpetual usage license for 40 nights per year. That ten-year period has completed and Boston University is now fully vested in that perpetual license. A new agreement for the next five-year period is being negotiated to set the operating costs of BU’s accessing its 40 nights (effectively the “gas” for the “car” that the license bought).

BU students, faculty, and researchers have utilized the LDT and its amazing suite of instruments to conduct a wide variety of cutting edge science, supported by numerous federal research grants. In addition, the LDT has featured prominently in a BU Alumni weekend, in several of our astronomy courses as a field trip location, and in video productions. Information on many of these may be found on this website.

Join us in our perpetual journey to explore the dark Arizona skies with the 4.3m LDT and its instruments!