Washburn Observatory
| Washburn Observatory | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| founding | 1881 |
| IAU code | 753 |
| Type | Observatory |
| Coordinates | 43 ° 4 '35.4 " N , 89 ° 24' 32" W |
| place | Madison, Wisconsin |
| management | University of Wisconsin – Madison |
| Website | University of Wisconsin-Madison / Department of Astronomy |
The Washburn Observatory (German Washburn Observatory ) ( IAU code 753) is an astronomical observatory , which is located at 1401 Observatory Drive on the grounds of the University of Wisconsin in Madison , Wisconsin , USA .
It was completed in 1881 and was a major research facility for about 50 years . Today it is home to the UW-Madison College of Letters and Science Honors Program, while the telescope continues to be used, by students in introductory astronomy courses and by the public on open days and tours.
history
The observatory is named after former Wisconsin governor Cadwallader C. Washburn . In 1876, the Wisconsin State Legislature passed a "Permanent Correction of Deficiencies in University Fund Income Act," to which Washburn added a provision requiring an amount of $ 3,000 per year to set up one astronomy class and one over a three year period appropriate observatory. This money should not come from state resources, but should be raised with property tax.
On September 18, 1877, President of the University of John Bascom announced that Washburn would equip its observatory with a telescope larger than the 15-inch refractor at Harvard . Washburn, along with the Board of Regents , chose the location of the observatory outside the city of Madison. The university acted as a distributor. The site was located about 100 feet above Lake Mendota north of the college campus and was surrounded by a vineyard and orchard at the time. Construction of the observatory began in May 1878, and Alvan Clark was commissioned to build the telescope. It was decided that the telescope would be 15.6 inches in diameter, making it the third largest in the United States. James Craig Watson was named the observatory's first director. He oversaw the completion of the original building and also funded a student observatory as well as a solar observatory. He died suddenly in 1880 and never saw the completed observatory. The instruments in the solar observatory that were used to locate the hypothetical planet Vulcano were removed in 1882.
The observatory was used extensively until the new Pine Bluff Observatory was inaugurated in 1958. Today the Washburn Observatory is home to the Honors Program of the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Letters & Science . The telescope, managed by the UW Astronomy Department, continues to be used for public tours and educational events.
photos
Observatory dome with the constellation Orion in the background.
Observatory in the evening
Web links
- University of Wisconsin-Madison / Department of Astronomy (English)
- WASHBURN OBSERVATORY: A HISTORY (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Bob Bless: WASHBURN OBSERVATORY: A HISTORY. In: The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. Accessed June 7, 2020 (English).
- ^ Disappointment to Astronomers. In: The New York Times. Accessed June 7, 2020 (English).
- ^ RC Bless: The History of Washburn Observatory. (No longer available online.) In: The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. Archived from the original on May 11, 2009 ; accessed on June 7, 2020 (English).