40 replies to this topic

[Astroabt]

This is a really cool topic for discussion. I personally live in Minnesota now, but grew up in Wisconsin. I've been meaning to visit the Yerkes Observatory in Lake Geneva, WI. I believe that parts of it are still active.

 

https://yerkesobservatory.org/

 

It looks like the oldest observatory in MN was one at Cartlon College. 

 

https://www.mnopedia...tieth centuries.

The Carleton College Goodsell Observatory is fantastic to visit.  About an hour south of the Twin Cities (Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area).  they have public nights once a month much of the year.  Check the website above.  Very nice scope. Mechanical drive with the governor that is by itself fascinating to watch.  It is well worth visiting. 

[kgb]

The Carleton College Goodsell Observatory is fantastic to visit. About an hour south of the Twin Cities (Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area). they have public nights once a month much of the year. Check the website above. Very nice scope. Mechanical drive with the governor that is by itself fascinating to watch. It is well worth visiting.

Hope you don't mind me further spilling your secret on the CCGO by providing a link...

https://www.carleton.edu/goodsell/

[Astroabt]

Thanks for putting in the direct link to the observatory's web site. The observatory also has some other historical scopes:  An 8.25" Alvan Clark and a transit scope used for precise timing before atomic clocks came about.    

[Northern Soul Imagery]

The Carleton College Goodsell Observatory is fantastic to visit.  About an hour south of the Twin Cities (Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area).  they have public nights once a month much of the year.  Check the website above.  Very nice scope. Mechanical drive with the governor that is by itself fascinating to watch.  It is well worth visiting. 

That sounds really great. I will have to get down there sometime. I'm in the metro area myself.

 

Actually, I recently joined MAS, the Minnesota Astronomical Society. I've been meaning to get out for one of their events in Norwood Young America, or one of their more remote sites.

[Exnihilo]

Yes, there is a 20" Clark at Chamberlin Observatory at DU in Denver still in operation by DU and the Denver Ast Soc.

As far as I know that’s probably the oldest in Colorado. 

[Exnihilo]

Lowell Observatory in AZ has, I think as its oldest the 24”Clark refractor used by Lowell himself.

 

 

When this thread is done, can some one make a table?

Edited by Exnihilo, 22 June 2024 - 02:44 PM.

[Max Coe]

UVa's McCormick Observatory has a 26 inch Clark dating to 1885 that is still in use. They also have a 10 inch Cooke and a 6 inch Clark of unknown ages. I don't know how often they are used.

[Northern Soul Imagery]

Now that would be a fun way to tour the country; hitting all the great observatories in every state. Maybe not for everyone...but I know I would love it!

Edited by Northern Soul Imagery, 25 June 2024 - 02:48 PM.

[Couder]

Now that would be a fun way to tour the country; hitting all the great observatories in every state. Maybe not for everyone...but I know I would love it!

We did a lot of that - my wife got her Master's in Anthropology, majoring in the American Indians. The Southwest has many observatories, many of which are on Indian land. We both had a good time.

 

[jgraham]

My wife and I have been pondering a series of trips to visit observatories around the country both as destinations and an excuse to travel a bit.

[Terra Nova]

I don’t believe they had one last year as Dean Regis left around the time I moved, a year ago Spring. I haven’t heard anything about it this year but I haven’t been to a meeting in a while. I hope to get to the August meeting. ScopeOut is generally in September, the weekend after LaborDay. It was kind of Dean’s baby and they just recently got a replacement for his position. It will be interesting to see if they have it again but it wouldn’t surprise me if it’s over. It had kind of been on the wain and Covid didn’t do it any favors.

Scopeout at the Cincinnati Observatory is now scheduled: Saturday, September 7th.

[steve t]

Scopeout at the Cincinnati Observatory is now scheduled: Saturday, September 7th.

Hi Terra,

Thanks for the update. Do you know if an agenda has been published for Scope Out 2024?

Steve T 

[Terra Nova]

I haven’t seen one yet. All I saw was a one-line announcement in ‘upcoming events’ in an email received from the Observatory.

[c predom]

In Connecticut, Yale University probably has the oldest. A 5 inch dolland from 1835 is on display at the Leithner planetarium and observatory. the Observatory  has a 8 inch reed in operation for public events. plus other instruments on display. here is a link to the page with a short info on the above mentioned refactors https://leitnerobser...out-observatory     Next in line are the telescopes at Wesleyan university.  https://www.wesleyan...ck/history.html,

 

clear skies!

 

chris

[PXR-5]

We have an 8" Alvan Clark at the CAAC (Charlotte, NC) dark site.
It's age escapes me, a majestic instrument.

[mikemarotta]

Ralph Mueller Observatory contains a 10½-inch refracting telescope built by the Warner & Swasey Co. of Cleveland in 1899. The renowned J.A. Brashear Company of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a division of American Optical Company, ground the telescope’s optics. Warner & Swasey Co. originally donated the telescope to Western Reserve College (later Western Reserve University and today Case Western Reserve University). It was located on the roof of the university’s physics building for 61 years.

 

 

Cleveland Museum of Natural History https://www.cmnh.org...ium-observatory

 

Thanks!

Mike M.