BENTONVILLE (KFSM) -- A huge, 50,000 pound, antique telescope was unveiled Saturday (Aug. 26) by Space Science NWA in Bentonville.
First View of the 24'' Brashear telescope -- transported from Pennsylvania to Northwest Arkansas earlier this year -- was donated to a Fayetteville nonprofit, Supporting STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) & Space, Inc., by Swarthmore College.
On their website, the nonprofit states it brought one of the largest refracting telescopes in the world to NWA.
The telescope is named after American astronomer Dr. John Alfred Brashear.
The 36-foot telescope was made by Brashear's company in Pittsburgh in 1911.
Volunteers from Supporting S.T.E.M. & Space will be assembling and restoring the antique with updated equipment for public use.
"You'll be able to see things really close and you'll be able to bring the universe literally to your face," said event chair Dustin Masterson.
If you'd like to sign-up to help upkeep and restore the historic telescope click here.