Dominion Astrophysical Observatory
Dominion Astrophysical Observatory / Observatoire fédéral d'astrophysique du Canada | |
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The building of the Plaskett telescope |
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founding | 1918 |
IAU code | 658 |
Type | Observatory |
height | 227 m |
Coordinates | 48 ° 31 '11.3 " N , 123 ° 25' 5.8" W |
place | Saanich BC |
operator | National Research Council of Canada - Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics |
The Dominion Astrophysical Observatory / Observatoire fédéral d'astrophysique du Canada (DAO / OFA) is an observatory in Saanich , British Columbia , Canada . It was the first Canadian observatory to achieve international importance and was then one of the most important in the world until around the middle of the 20th century.
history
The observatory was built in 1918 by the government on the initiative and according to a design by John Stanley Plaskett .
The observatory has a 72-inch reflector telescope (1.8 meters), the Plaskett telescope from 1918, at the time the second largest in the world . Then, in 1962, the observatory acquired a second telescope that was 48 inches in diameter. Equipped with only one spectroscope , it was mainly used to study binary stars .
In 1970 responsibility for the observatory was transferred to the National Research Council of Canada .
In 1981 an additional 40 cm telescope was installed.
Since 1995 it has been the seat of the Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics .
Dominion Astrophysical Observatory National Historic Site of Canada Lieu historique national du Canada de l'Observatoire-Fédéral-d'Astrophysique |
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Historic Place of Canada Lieu patrimonial du Canada |
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Recognized since | January 12, 2001 |
Type | National Historic Site of Canada |
ID | 16392 |
Recognized by | Canadian Federal Government |
Approved by | Historic Sites and Monuments Act |
Entry Canadian List of Monuments |
The observatory was declared a National Historic Site of Canada on January 12, 2001 . The International Astronomical Union declared it Outstanding Astronomical Heritage because of its importance in the history of astronomy .
business
It is open to the public as an observatory. One visitor center, the Center of the Universe , was closed for lack of money.
See also
literature
- Helen Sawyer Hogg: Memories of the Plaskett Era of the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory 1931-1934. In: Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada , Vol. 82, NO. 6 / DEC (1988), p. 328. bibcode : 1988JRASC..82..328H .
- Richard A. Jarrell: The Instrument was Instrumental - Plaskett's Telescope and Canadian Astronomy Between the Wars. In: Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada , Vol. 87 (08/1993), p. 218. bibcode : 1993JRASC..87..218J .
- John S. Plaskett: The Dominion Astrophysical Observatory. In: Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific , Vol. 39, No. 228 (04/1927), p. 88. bibcode : 1927PASP ... 39 ... 88P .
- John S. Plaskett: History of Astronomy in British Columbia. In: Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada , Vol. 77 (06/1983), p. 108. bibcode : 1983JRASC..77..108P .
- RASC: A New 48-inch Telescope for the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory. In: Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada , Vol. 52, p. 167. bibcode : 1958JRASC..52..167. .
Web links
- official website , on the website of the National Research Council of Canada (nrc-cnrc.gc.ca)
- Photo of DAO, 1920, U. Wash Digital Collections .
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Dominion Astrophysical Observatory National Historic Site of Canada (No. 16392). In: Canadian Register of Historic Places. Retrieved February 17, 2018 (English, and Dominion Astrophysical Observatory (No. 2966) , ibid.).
- ^ The Dominion Astrophysical Observatory . astro-canada.ca.