RACINE COUNTY - Halfway through the U.N.'s International Year of Astronomy, stargazers in 68 countries have bought Galileoscopes, a small telescope that was born in this area.

The small but accurate telescopes were conceived by a Carthage College astronomy professor and are being manufactured by a Racine company.

The Galileoscope is the largest of 11 projects for the International Year of Astronomy 2009. It is designed to cheaply introduce people all around the world to astronomy. "We started making them in April," said Doug Arion, the Carthage professor who could be called the father of the Galileoscope.

Now, he added, "We're going as fast as humanly possible."

The small but able telescopes, only 20 inches long, are being made at a factory in China and shipped by the tens of thousands.

"The first 60,000 will all be gone by the end of the week," Arion said a few days ago. Those will quickly be followed by another 25,000. In total, about 110,000 have been ordered so far.

The pace is running far short of the original goal of selling 1 million Galileoscopes this year, but Arion is not unhappy. In a typical year, about 1 million small telescopes are sold, he said.

"So we already have 10 percent of that, and by the end of the year we might have 20 to 30 percent."

The Galileoscope was conceived of as a telescope kit that would spark an astronomical interest by newcomers, because of its affordability. The scopes cost only $15 each, with volume discounts.

Each one comes as a kit. The scope can give a primitive image much like the one that Galileo Galilei saw hundreds of years ago - or it can be quickly converted to a much more powerful scope. In that mode, it can be used at either 25 or 50 magnification to show Saturn's rings, for example.

After Arion helped concoct the idea, he built a business model for the Galileoscope, then worked with Merit Models, 1833 Oakdale Ave. in Racine, on the engineering. Merit is also the manufacturer, although the plant is in China.

Each shipping container sent from the factory holds 7,000 of the telescopes. For North American distribution, the containers come to Leman USA, 1860 Renaissance Blvd. in Renaissance Business Park.

Hong Kong and Copenhagen are the other entry ports for shipments to the rest of the world.

At Leman, Arion said, "A container disappears in two days," as the Galileoscopes are sent off to their waiting buyers.

And from there, the new owners can reach out to the galaxy.

For more information or to order a Galileoscope, visit https://www.galileoscope.org/gs