Kirkwood Observatory Explained

Kirkwood Observatory
Organization:Indiana University
Location:Bloomington, Indiana, U.S.A.
Coords:39.1658°N -86.5261°W
Altitude:235 meters (770 ft)
Weather:See the Clear Sky Clock
Established:1901
Telescope1 Type:0.3-meter (12-inch) refractor
Telescope2 Name:Solar telescope
Telescope2 Type:heliostat, spectrograph, digital hydrogen-alpha imaging

Kirkwood Observatory is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by Indiana University. It is located in Bloomington, Indiana, United States. It is named for Daniel Kirkwood (1814–1895) an astronomer and professor of mathematics at Indiana University who discovered the divisions of the asteroid belt known as the Kirkwood Gaps.

Description

Built in 1900 and dedicated on May 15, 1901, the observatory was thoroughly renovated during the 2001–02 academic year. Although the facility is no longer used for research, its original refracting telescope, built by Warner & Swasey Company with a 12-inch (0.3-meter) Brashear objective lens, also received a complete restoration. The telescope is now used regularly for outreach events and undergraduate-level classes. Kirkwood Observatory also has an instructional solar telescope.

Directors

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