Aristotle was a philosopher and astronomer in Ancient Greece, and his complex geometrical model of the universe lasted for almost 2000 years until the 16th century AD. A donation at this level will get us well on our way to renovating the Fuertes Observatory for a century to come!

Nicolaus Copernicus was a 16th century astronomer, and is considered to be the father of the heliocentric (sun-centered) model of the solar system. A donation at this level will help us buy a bucket of paint for the dome walls, install a new light, or get a new chair for the classroom!

Johannes Kepler was a 17th century astronomer known for his groundbreaking laws of planetary motion. A donation at this level will allow us to professionally print and mount a display for our museum or classroom!

17th century astronomer Galileo Galilei was the first person to point a telescope towards the sky, and his discovery that Jupiter had moons of its own demonstrated that the Copernican model of the universe was true. A donation at this level will allow us to add much needed cabinets to store our equipment!

Professor Estevan Fuertes was the founding dean of Cornell's Department of Civil Engineering in 1873 and is the namesake of the Fuertes Observatory. A donation at this level will contribute significantly towards upgrading our classroom to accommodate more visitors for lectures!

Professor Irving Porter Church (Class of 1873) was a renowned leader in the fields of Civil Engineering and Applied Mechanics, and was responsible for the construction of the telescope at Fuertes Observatory bearing his name. A donation at this level will allow us to mount a new projector on the classroom ceiling for presentations and lectures!

The beloved Carl Sagan was a Professor of Astronomy at Cornell from 1968 to 1996, and his scientific contributions, books, and Cosmos series impacted the lives of millions of people around the world. A donation of this level will contribute significantly towards renovating the Fuertes Observatory dome room, which houses the historic Irving Porter Church Memorial Telescope!