About Us

Bob Antol is from Des Moines, Iowa. He graduated from Iowa State University in 1978 with a bachelor's degree in Mathematics.

He has been working for IBM in East Fishkill, New York since 1978.

In 1985, Bob went on an expedition to the North Pole with Society Expeditions. You can read about this fantastic experience in his Polar Journals.

On May 9th, 1987, Bob and Barb were married.

Barb Antol is from West Haverstraw, New York. She graduated from Pace University in 1980 with a bachelor's degree in Mathematics.

She has been working for IBM in East Fishkill, New York since 1980.

Some of Barb's Photo Albums are available for viewing.

About the Stargate 4173 at Grimaldi Tower Observatory

A brief history of the Stargate 4173 Observatory is collected in this series of photographs.

Directions to the Stargate are found here. Check out sky conditions near the observatory.

Stargate 4173 at Grimaldi Tower is currently featured at:

Information on the equipment in the Stargate 4173 at Grimaldi Tower observatory can be found here.

		Details of the design and construction of the Stargate 4173 at Grimaldi Tower observatory can be found in this book. It will be released February 1st from Springer-Verlag publishing. It is also available at Amazon.com. The cover art evolved from this original image (our house) to what was eventually selected (Gordon's house) for the actual cover of the book. In the sky is Messier 82 as photographed by Gordon Rogers.
Original Cover Art	Actual Cover Art

Our cats are all named after craters on the moon. Their Photo Albums are available for viewing.

	Copernicus - the renowned Polish astronomer, one of the founders of modern astronomy. His heliocentric system was explained in his main work De Revolutionibus Orbium Celestium (1543). On the moon, the crater is a ring mountain, 93 km in diameter and 3760 m deep; terraced walls, relatively flat floor with a group of central peaks (heights up to 1200 m); the height of the wall above the surrounding terrain is 900 m.

	Tycho - Danish astronomer, prominent observer and organizer of scientific research. His accurate observations enabled Kepler to discover the laws of planetary motion. On the moon, the crater is 85 km in diameter and 4850 m deep with the most extensive ray system. We commissioned Sharon Challand at http://www.pet-portrait.com/ to do a portrait of Tycho and Copernicus. This portrait is currently hanging above the fireplace in our Oak Room.

	Grimaldi (deceased) - Italian physicist and astronomer, author of a map of the Moon which was used by Riccioli as a basis for his nomenclature. On the moon, the crater is a basin whose flooded centre is surrounded by an inner wall 222 km in diameter; the damaged external wall has a diameter of 430 km. We also commissioned Sharon Challand at http://www.pet-portrait.com/ to do a portrait of Grimaldi. This portrait is currently hanging in the lower octagonal room. In Grimaldi's honor, we named the 2 story structure after him. It is known as Grimaldi Tower.