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When opening, the front of the retractable roof pivots up 12 degrees, then the entire roof rolls 18 feet back where it cantilevers off the back of the observatory, and finally the front of the roof pivots back to the horizontal position. The open roof provides an unobstructed, 180 degree view of the starlit sky. Two hinged bearings at the back of the roof provide the rotation point as the roof is tilted up and down by a pair of electrically powered machine screws. The roof slides forward and back on two-stage guides that are powered by rack-and-pinion drive systems, and that operate similar to a file cabinet drawer. |
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