First constructed in its early iterations in 1972, the Van Allen Observatory (VAO) is a 17-inch Corrected Dall-Kirkham reflecting telescope, owned and operated by the University of Iowa Department of Physics and Astronomy. It is stationed on the roof of Van Allen Hall in Iowa City and is open to students and community members as it is used for undergraduate astronomical laboratories and public outreach. The VAO is named after one of the greats of space science, the Physics and Astronomy Department’s Professor James Van Allen.

In addition to its Cassegrain reflector, the VAO telescope consists

The Van Allen Observatory dome is pictured atop Van Allen Hall along with other roof structures as viewed from the southeast. A tree with spring growth partially obscures the view.

People

headshot of Andi Swirbul

Andi Swirbul

Van Allen Observatory Manager,
Astronomy Laboratory Specialist
andi-swirbul@uiowa.edu
319-335-2147
Andi is the Van Allen Observatory Manager and Astronomy Lab Specialist, supervising the experience of undergraduate students taking Astronomy lab classes in the department and overseeing the operation and maintenance of the department’s 17- and 20-inch telescopes used for labs, research, and outreach.